The independence of the judiciary is one of the fundamental values of a democratic state and one constituent element of this is the possibility of removing a judge only for the reasons laid down by law within a due process. A state which consciously casts doubt on or infringes the independence of the judiciary deviates from the principles of democracy.
The immediate removal of almost 3,000 judges in Turkey and the imprisonment of some raises fundamental doubts as to adherence to the principle of the independence of the judiciary embedded in UN General Assembly Resolution 90/32 of 29 November 1985 and 40/146 of 13 December 1985, in Council of Europe Recommendation 7/1981, 86/1984, 12/1996 and others, in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as amended by Protocols Nos 3, 5, 8 (Article 6(1)) and in the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights (Article 14).
The Union of Judges calls on the representatives of the Czech Republic and international institutions to insist on eliminating illegal procedure against judges or demand justification for such procedure by a state against the judiciary with reference to the international documents specified above.