Leading UK academics are urging European governments to bolster the enforcement mechanisms of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), arguing that current efforts are insufficient to counter authoritarian tendencies in member states. Professors Philip Leach from Middlesex University and Başak Çalı from Oxford University have emphasised the critical need for concerted action to give the human rights system “real teeth”.
Their appeal is particularly timely given the escalating concerns over the suppression of free speech and public life in Turkey. Reports indicate a worsening environment for individuals critical of the government or President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The academics suggest that the silence from other European governments in the face of such actions effectively emboldens authoritarian regimes.
A key case cited by the professors is that of human rights philanthropist Osman Kavala, who has been detained in Turkey since 2017. Despite legally binding orders for his release from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which recognised his political prosecution, Mr Kavala remains imprisoned. Professors Leach and Çalı, who represent Mr Kavala, highlight that European states have consistently refrained from exerting meaningful pressure on Turkey to comply with these rulings.
The academics contend that merely paying lip service to the integrity of the European human rights system is inadequate. They stress that without tangible, coordinated action from governments, the system risks losing its effectiveness and credibility. The current situation, they argue, demonstrates a significant gap between the pronouncements of human rights principles and their practical implementation.
This call for stronger enforcement reflects a broader debate within Europe about the balance between national sovereignty and international human rights obligations. The ECHR, to which the UK is a signatory, forms a cornerstone of human rights protection across the continent. However, its effectiveness hinges on the willingness of member states to not only adhere to its principles but also to collectively ensure compliance when violations occur.