Türkiye’s changes to child detention ‘raise serious human rights concerns’
13 August 2026
Human Rights
UN 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.
