Şebnem has helped thousands in her home country of Türkiye and around the world by advocating for the eradication of torture. Now she needs your help to defend herself against the relentless hostility of the Turkish authorities. She won’t be silenced in her fight for human rights.

At home, Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı is a cat-loving classical music fan who enjoys cooking and listening to Beethoven. But to the world, she is a globally recognized forensic medicine expert, known for her work to eradicate torture. A tireless campaigner against the use of torture, Şebnem has always fought to protect human rights.

During her distinguished career as a forensic medical expert, Şebnem has worked with the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and closer to home she was the head of the Turkish Medical Association. But in recent years, the Turkish authorities relentlessly targeted her.

For years Şebnem was relentlessly harassed, and subjected to baseless criminal investigations, detention, and charges by the Turkish authorities. After calling for an investigation into allegations that the Turkish military was using chemical weapons in Iraq, she was convicted in January 2023 for allegedly “making propaganda for a terrorist organization”. She is appealing the charge, but she could face a prison sentence if her conviction is upheld, simply for expressing her concerns as an expert.

The Turkish government is relentlessly clamping down on freedom of expression, restricting the crucial human rights work of people like Şebnem. But she will not be discouraged. She has always refused to give in, and as she says, she has never “had the habit of bowing to any authority to this day”. 

Sign the petition and tell the Turkish authorities to stop harassing Şebnem now.