CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP ON THE RIGHTS OF LGBTQIA+ PEOPLES IN  PRISONS AND BEYOND

Project Summary:

This multi-phase initiative advances the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons—especially transgender people—in Turkish prisons and beyond. Phase I (2024) produced a field study and a comprehensive report; a book based on the report has been published. Phase II convened an international conference in Geneva, gathering experts, activists, and policymakers to address medical care, gender identity recognition, prevention of ill-treatment, and re-entry support. Phase III (2026) will deliver practitioner workshops to translate findings into concrete policy and practice.

Start Date: March 2024

Current Status:

  • Phase I completed (report + published book).
  • Phase II conference held in Geneva; follow-up actions agreed. ( See more info here)
  • Phase III workshops planned for 2026.

Partners:

APT (Switzerland); SOMOS (Brazil); ILGA World; Hêvi LGBTQ+ Association (Turkey); Proud Lebanon (Lebanon); Kurdish Students Association at the University of Geneva (ADEK); University Conference of Student Associations (CUAE); PRISMI LGBTIQ+ Global Solidarity; 6Rang.

Subvention / Funders:

For Phase II:

  • La Commission de gestion des taxes fixes (CGTF),
  • Université de Genève; République et Canton de Genève – Service de la solidarité internationale (SSI).

THE NON-GENDERED KURDISH TALES FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE

Project Summary:

This initiative creates and publishes gender-neutral Kurdish children’s tales to preserve Kurdish language and culture while promoting equality and non-violence. It combines editorial work with community workshops and expert exchanges.

Start Date: January 2024

Current Status:

Stories have been collected and are now in the rewriting and adaptation phase.

Partners:

Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Kobanê

Weşanxaneya Morî

Funding:

Fondation Jan Michalski (partial funding)

“LOSS AND RE-MAKING OF THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOME IN SUR, DIYARBAKIR” 

Publication Date: End of 2023 or Early 2024

About the Book/Project: This forthcoming publication delves into the complexities of displacement and homemaking in Sur, Diyarbakır, in the wake of the 2015/2016 armed conflicts. Comprising two main parts, the book first explores the spatial transformation of Sur, examining its legal, cultural, economic, and political dimensions. The second part focuses on the personal stories of those displaced, shedding light on the loss and re-making of both public and private homes.

Methodology: Based on qualitative analysis, the book features in-depth interviews with 32 individuals who were forced to leave Sur, aiming to provide a nuanced understanding of the layered meanings of lost and newly made homes.

Upcoming Events: A series of conferences will be organized in the second half of 2026 to further discuss and disseminate the book’s findings and implications.

SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENCE AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYERS IN TURKEY

Project Summary: The Mesopotamia Observatory of Justice (Mojust) has initiated a project focused on supporting and safeguarding lawyers who are actively involved in human rights advocacy in Turkey. The country has been notorious for imprisoning more lawyers than any other nation since 2011, often under vague anti-terrorism laws. This project aims to bolster the independence of the legal profession, offer aid to lawyers who are either imprisoned or facing prosecution, and lobby for legal reforms at both the national and international levels.

Start Date: 2023

Current Status: 

  • Fieldwork: A comprehensive field study has been conducted, and a report is in the process of being published as a book.
  • Upcoming Workshops: The second phase of the project involves organizing workshops aimed at strengthening the capacities of lawyers in human rights advocacy.

“ESTABLISHING HUMAN RIGHTS-CENTRIC ETHICAL JOURNALISM IN KURDISH MEDIA”

Project Summary: The Mesopotamia Observatory of Justice, in collaboration with Journalists Associations, is launching a pivotal initiative aimed at fostering ethical journalism centered on human rights within Kurdish media across Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. The project addresses the unique challenges faced by Kurdish media, such as censorship and suppression, and aims to train journalists in human rights-respectful reporting methods.

Project Start Date: 2025
Current Status: In Preparation Phase

“EXAMINATION OF DRONE AND UAV USE IN KURDISH REGIONS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL AND HUMANITARIAN LAW PERSPECTIVE”

Project Summary: This groundbreaking study aims to explore the legal, ethical, and humanitarian implications of drone and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) use in Kurdish regions across Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. Utilizing frameworks of international and humanitarian law, the project will focus on case studies that investigate potential violations and remedies.

Project Start Date: March 1, 2024
Final Report Due: May 15, 2026

“SEEKING JUSTICE AND REMEDIES FOR VICTIMS OF TURKEY’S DESTRUCTION AND VIOLATION OF KURDISH CEMETERIES AND GRAVES”

Project Summary: This initiative aims to provide legal support and reparations for victims affected by the destruction and violation of Kurdish cemeteries and graves in Turkey. Utilizing both domestic and international legal mechanisms, the project seeks to hold Turkish authorities accountable for these crimes.

Start Date: First Phase: 2022, 

Current Status:
The first phase of the project included fieldwork and the publication of a report in book form, available as a PDF on our website. The second phase, the conference, commenced in the first half of 2026.