Şebnem Korur Fincancı

Şebnem Korur Fincancı (born 1959) is a Turkish medic, former professor, and current president of the Turkish Medical Association (TBB). She is an internationally renowned expert on human rights and a member of the Turkish Human Rights Association (TİHV).[1]

Şebnem Korur Fincancı makes a statement upon being released in 2016

Early life and education

After having completed her high school at the Kadıköy College of Education,[2] she graduated in medicine at the University of Istanbul she received further training in forensic medicine.[3] Following she studied classical archaeology at the Faculty of Literature of the University of Istanbul from 1987 to 1990.[3] She is a founding member of both the Turkish Penal Law Association and the Society of Forensic Medicine having presided the latter between 1993 and 1996.[3] In 1997, she became the head of the forensic medical department of the University of Istanbul.[4]

Professional career

In 1996 Korur Fincancı was involved in the autopsy of several bodies unearthed from mass graves in the Kalesija region in Bosnia[5] on behalf of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.[2] In 1999, she was a collaborator in the drafting of the Istanbul Protocol,[5][6][4] which was to become guideline for the documentation of torture for the United Nations.[5][7] In 2002, she contributed to a survey and handbook on sexual violence for the World Health Organization (WHO), After being convicted of terror related charges, she temporarily put her office at the university on hold.[8] In 2007 In 2016, after human rights violations were documented during the curfews ordered by the Turkish authorities in Southeast Turkey in pursue of militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), she became a signatory of the petition We will not be a party of this crime from the Academics for Peace.[9] Between 2018 and 2021, she was the president of the TIHV.[10] In October 2020, Korur-Financi was elected the president of the Turkish Medical Association (TBB).[11] Having assumed as the TBB president, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, referred to her as "someone from a terrorist organization".[11]

Further activities

She was a civil servant when she was the head of the board of experts at the Forensic Department from the Ministry of Justice between 1995 and 1996.[2] She was the secretary general of the Istanbul Chamber of Medicine twice, between 1996 and 1998 and again between 2002 and 2006.[2]

Prosecution

Özgür Gündem trial

On 20 June 2016[12] she was detained for having been an editor-on-watch for one day for the newspaper Özgür Gündem.[13] She was investigated for terror propaganda[13] but released after ten days,[12] pending trial.[14] On 17 July 2019, she was acquitted[15] but this time the prosecution appealed the verdict and on 3 November 2020 a court ruled a retrial was to take place.[16] In April 2022, the dismissal of Murat Bircan, the presiding judge of the court was demanded as it was reported he was a candidate for the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Samsun and was also seen in a gathering with local AKP functionaries.[17]

Academics for Peace trial

She was also investigated for having signed the petition We are not a party of this crime by the Academics for Peace in 2016.[18] In trial, her observations during her visit of Cizre on 3 March 2016, an interview given to Evrensel in December 2015 and another interview given to Özgür Gündem in December 2018 were presented as evidence for her being involved in disseminating terrorist propaganda.[8] In 2019 she was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment but she appealed the verdict.[11]

Interview with Erkam Tufan Aytav on YouTube

After Şebnem Korur Fincancı was interviewed by Erkam Tufan Aytav on his YouTube channel on 15 March 2022, the Anti-Terrorism Department filed a criminal complaint arguing Aytav is a fugitive member of the Gülen Movement.[19] The Gülen Movement is seen as terrorist in Turkey.[19]

Terror propaganda trial

On 20 October 2022, Korur Fincancı spoke to Medya Haber TV, a channel with close ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),[20] an organisation designated a terrorist group by Turkey and allied countries.[21] During this broadcast, Korur Fincancı claimed that the Turkish military had used "chemical gases" on the PKK and called an investigation into the event.[22][20] After her interview, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against Fincancı on charges of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "insulting the state institutions and organs".[20] President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described her statements as "speaking the language of the terrorist organization", she was insulting the Turkish armed forces and Turkey.[23]

After the investigation was started, Fincancı criticized Medya Haber TV and other media outlets of irresponsible journalism. "They make news as if I had said chemical weapons were used. I didn't say anything like that."[20] She had been detained at her home in Istanbul on 26 October and formally charged on 27 October in Ankara. Protests arose against her detention[1] and the World Medical Association,[24] the TBB and the TIHV have condemned her arrest.[25] The president of the German Medical Association, Physicians for Human Rights, Redress, the IRCT, DIGNITY and Amnesty International have demanded her release.[1] On 27 October, the Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag announced plans to reform the administration of the TBB and dismiss Financi as its president.[6]

On the 11 January 2023, a court sentenced her to over 2 years and 8 months imprisonment for terror propaganda but ordered her release.[26]

Controversies

Ceyhan Mumcu, Uğur Mumcu's brother, accused Fincancı to have prevented solving the murders of Uğur Mumcu, Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, Muammer Aksoy and Bahriye Üçok by preparing a fake forensic report which indicates the suspects were tortured, while not examining or seeing them.[27][28] Fincancı later attempted to intervene the Ergenekon trials since University's then-rector, Kemal Alemdaroğlu, was detained; claiming Istanbul University "prevented her fight against torture" by the order of "Ergenekon terrorist organization".[29]

Awards

References
  1. "Protest gegen Verhaftung von türkischer Ärzteverbandschefin". Die Zeit. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. "Who's who in Politics in Turkey" (PDF). Heinrich Böll Stiftung. pp. 247–249. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  3. "Şebnem Korur Fincancı". Hrant Dink Foundation. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  4. "Hessischer Friedenspreis wird an Şebnem Korur Fincancı verliehen" (PDF). Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. 1 November 2018.
  5. Gazetesi, Evrensel. "Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Council President and Evrensel Writer Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı arrested". Evrensel.net. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  6. Sinclar–Webb, Emma (28 October 2022). "Turkey Jails Another Human Rights Defender". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  7. Iacopino, Vincent; Haar, Rohini J.; Heisler, Michele; Lin, James; Fincancı, Şebnem Korur; Esdaile, Chris; Modvig, Jens; Sveaass, Nora; Nathanson, Vivienne H.; Melzer, Nils; Cohen, Juliet (16 July 2022). "Istanbul Protocol 2022 empowers health professionals to end torture". The Lancet. 400 (10347): 143–145. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00948-5. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 35779555. S2CID 250095877.
  8. "Şebnem Korur Fincancı | Sessiz Kalma". www.sessizkalma.org. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  9. "Turkish court acquits academics Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Gençay Gürsoy for signing peace petition". Gazete Duvar (in Turkish). 7 July 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  10. "About HRFT". Human Rights Foundation of Turkey. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  11. "Solidarity with Prof. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı and the Turkish Medical Association". Netherlands Helsinki Committee. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  12. "Turkish Medical Association head detained in İstanbul". Bianet. 26 October 2022.
  13. Topçu, Özlem (27 June 2016). "Der Vorwurf lautet Propaganda". Die Zeit. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  14. "Puttrich setzt sich für Friedenspreisträgerin Fincanci ein". Die Zeit. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  15. Dunphy, Hannah (17 July 2019). "PHR: Acquittal of Turkish Physician Human Rights Defender Welcome and Overdue". Physicians for Human Rights. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  16. "Acquittal verdict of Şebnem Korur Fincancı overturned". Front Line Defenders. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  17. "Retrial of RSF Turkey representative: six years of judicial persecution | RSF". rsf.org. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  18. "Conviction and sentencing of Ms. Sebnem Korur Fincanci, President of…". OMCT. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  19. "Police file complaint against Turkish Medical Association chair over appearance on YouTube program". Gazete Duvar. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  20. "Şebnem Korur Fincancı: TTB Başkanı tutuklandı". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). 26 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  21. "Turkey spy agency denies role in Paris Kurds murder, launches probe". Radio France Internationale. 16 January 2014.
  22. "Top Turkish doctor jailed on terror charges after call for chemical weapons probe". 26 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  23. "Turkey medical association chief arrested for proposing chemical probe |". AW. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  24. "European Doctors condemn the arrest of Şebnem Korur Fincanci and call for her immediate release". CPME.eu. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  25. "Doctor arrested after calling for Turkish army chemical weapons probe". euronews. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  26. Ruken, Tuncel (11 January 2023). "Court sentences Şebnem Korur-Fincancı for 'terror propaganda,' orders her release". Bianet.
  27. 'Şebnem Korur Fincancı Uğur Mumcu'nun Katillerinin Salınmasını Sağladı!' Ceyhan Mumcu |Saygı Öztürk, retrieved 7 November 2022
  28. "Uğur Mumcu'nun ağabeyi Ş. Korur Fincancı hakkında konuştu!". Habererk (in Turkish). 27 October 2022.
  29. "Fincancı'nın Ergenekon kumpasındaki rolü". Ulusal (in Turkish). 27 October 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  30. "Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Ahmet Nesin, and Erol Önderoğlu". PEN America. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
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