The purpose of the Financial Support Program is to support human rights defenders who face pressure and hardship due to their human rights activities and to support them in carrying out their activities. To this end, financial support will be provided to human rights defenders facing pressure and hardship to mitigate the impact of these pressures and hardships on their lives.

Human rights defenders can apply for the financial support program for their own needs, limited to the support areas, as well as for the support areas needed by their relatives affected by the pressure and hardships they face.

Funding Information

• Within the scope of the program, each human rights defender will be provided with support in the amount of Turkish Lira equivalent to a maximum of 5,000 (five thousand) Euros.
• The maximum support period is 1 year.

Eligible Expenses

• Eligible expenditures are limited to the expenditures specified under the areas in which support can be used.
• The memorandum of understanding to be signed with human rights defenders whose applications have been approved will provide detailed information regarding eligible expenditures, the duration and validity of the support, the method of providing the support, and the documentation of expenditures to be made under the support.
• Expenditures other than those specified in the memorandum of understanding will not be considered eligible expenditures.
• The support received must be used within a maximum of 1 year and all expenses incurred within the scope of the support must be documented.

Eligibility Criteria

• All human rights defenders who face pressure and difficulties due to their activities to protect and promote human rights can apply for support.
• Although not limited to this list, the following human rights violations will be evaluated within the scope of pressure and hardship against human rights defenders:
  • Public officials or public servants due to their activities in the field of human rights
  • Physical and verbal attacks and threats made by third parties under the direction and encouragement of
  • Torture and other ill-treatment,
  • Forced disappearance,
  • Extrajudicial executions and unsolved murders,
  • Judicial harassment (detention, arbitrary detention, investigation, prosecution, arrest, etc.) and administrative harassment (administrative action, administrative fine, etc.),
• Stigmatization, marginalization and targeting (by statements of officials, the media, pro-government individuals and institutions, or third parties, etc.).
• Human rights defenders facing the pressures and hardships described above may apply for a financial support program. In cases where human rights defenders are unable to apply directly, their relatives or persons legally authorized to act on their behalf may apply with the written consent of the human rights defender, except in cases of enforced disappearance, death, or health issues that prevent consent. If an application is made on behalf of a human rights defender, additional documentation, including a document demonstrating consent, may be requested.
• The situations in which an application can be made on behalf of a human rights defender are as follows:
  • The right to life of the human rights defender on whose behalf the application was made was violated in relation to his human rights advocacy activities.
  • The human rights defender on whose behalf the application is made is associated with human rights advocacy activities. was forcibly disappeared.
  • The human rights defender on whose behalf the application was made is in relation to human rights advocacy is in prison.
  • The human rights defender on whose behalf the application is made is not in a position to apply himself/herself due to physical and/or mental health problems.
• Some applications will be prioritized within the scope of the program. In this context:
  • Women and LGBTI+ human rights defenders,
  • Disabled human rights defenders,
  • Human rights defenders operating in the provinces affected by the earthquakes of February 6, 2023,
  • Human rights defenders operating outside Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir,
  • Human rights activists operating in small-scale civil society organizations or independently.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Persons in the following categories cannot apply for the financial support program under any circumstances:
  • Those who simultaneously receive support from another program for the same or similar reasons,
  • Those who are on the Board of Directors of TIHV,
  • Those who are included in the Independent Evaluation Board,
  • Those living outside Turkey.

Evaluation Criteria

• Technical Evaluation:
  • If necessary, additional information may be requested to further refine the application form. This additional information must be completed within five days. Applications found not to meet the criteria outlined in the guide will be notified to the applicant, and these applications will not be evaluated by the Independent Evaluation Board,
• Independent Board Evaluation:
  • The Independent Review Board consists of five full members and three alternate members working in the field of human rights. The Board makes decisions by consensus.

For more information, visit TİHV.

https://ihs.tihv.org.tr/ihsmaddidestek/