Turkey has most human rights cases before European Court with nearly three times as many open cases as Russia

STRASBOURG — During a press conference in Strasbourg, France, President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) Marko Bošnjak stated that Turkey tops Europe in human rights cases against it before the ECtHR.

Bošnjak revealed that Turkey has the most overall cases before the Court, with a staggering 21,600 cases pending before the ECtHR. Turkey has almost three times as many pending cases as Russia, which has 8,150 pending cases.

The high volume of cases against Turkey has raised growing concerns about the independence of its judiciary and the extent to which Turkish authorities uphold human rights, particularly in political matters affecting dissidents and activists. These concerns were highlighted during legal discussions at the Court, which addressed issues such as restrictions on freedom of expression, political arrests, and the rights of Kurds, including the case of Kurdish political leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Bošnjak also emphasized Turkey’s continued refusal to comply with the Court’s rulings, particularly regarding the release of human rights activist Osman Kavala and opposition politician Selahattin Demirtaş, former head of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (Halkların Demokratik Partisi, HDP).

He noted that these ongoing violations are exacerbating tensions between Turkey and the European Union, placing increasing pressure on Turkey to align with European human rights standards.