Türkiye’s changes to child detention ‘raise serious human rights concerns’

Thursday, August 13, 2026UN NewsUN human rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday condemned an amendment adopted by Türkiye’s parliament that would allow judges to give life sentences to child offenders convicted of serious crimes.Adopted on Saturday, the changes to the Child Protection Law broadly increase sentences for offenders aged 15 to 18, empower judges to decline age-based sentence reductions for those accused of intentional killing or aggravated injury and mandate the detention of child offenders in closed juvenile institutions – rather than education centres focused on rehabilitation.“While some of the proposals may be positive – such as those that aim to ensure better coordination between child protection and education services and to prevent children from accessing firearms – others raise serious human rights concerns,” Mr. Türk said. “I am particularly alarmed by the possibility that child offenders could be sentenced to life imprisonment.”The UN has previously expressed concern about arbitrary detentions under the administration of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – most notably the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu and protesters who supported him.Call for...