Şebnem Korur Fincancı

Fincancı was born in 1959 in Istanbul. After graduating from the Cerrahpaşa University Medical Faculty, she received specialization training in Forensic Medicine. From 1987 to 1990 she studied Classical Archaeology at the Istanbul University Faculty of Literature. She was a founding member of the Society of Forensic Medicine Specialists founded in 1992; and the Turkish Penal Law Association. She has been the President of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey since 2009.

Turgut Tarhanlı

Turgut Tarhanlı is a Professor of Public International Law and Human Rights Law and the Director of the BİLGİ Human Rights Law Research Center. He participated in research projects in the USA on conflict management and conflict resolution at Harvard University, and on universal jurisdiction and human rights at Princeton University. In 2002, he was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for his contribution in the protection of refugee rights in Turkey. In the same year he was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board on Human Rights of Turkey, reporting to the Prime Minister. In 2006, he was elected as a member of the International Advisory Committee of Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights with the capacity of the representative of Europe. He is amongst the founding members of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Amnesty International-Turkey, ILI-Istanbul and Istanbul University Law Faculty Alumni Association; and also a member of Transparency International-Turkey, Global Relations Forum and Istanbul Bar Association.

Zafer Kıraç

Zafer Kıraç was born in Osmaniye in 1965. He took part in the establishment and management of numerous civil society organisations including Human Rights in Mental Health Initiative (RUSİHAK), Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CISST), Civil Society Development Center (STGM), and Anadolu Kültür. He continues rights-based advocacy particularly for the protection of prisoners’ rights and liberties, and for ensuring full and equal participation of all individuals with psychosocial and mental disabilities as well as their relatives in the social life. He took part in various projects including “Surmounting Prison Walls’’ supported by Anadolu Kültür and the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey; “Effective Use of Common Areas in F-Type High Security Prisons in Turkey’’ financed under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR); and “Formation of a Local Monitoring and Reporting Group for Mental Health Hospitals”.