Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
17 January Daily Human Rights Report
(01/188) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 16, 2019 that, disciplinary proceedings are initiated against prisoners who go on a hunger strike in Şırnak T Type Prison, to support Leyla Güven, People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair.
(01/189) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 16, 2019 that 3 prisoners in Şırnak T Type prison went on an indefinite hunger strike to protest isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
(01/190) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 799 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on January 16, 2019 at 13.30, and at 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on January 15, 2019, 2 people (Derviş Lermi and Nazan Bozkurt) and at 18.00 2 people (Derviş Lermi, Nazan Bozkurt and Gülnaz Bozkurt) were detained.
Thus in total 5 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on January 16, 2019. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(01/191) Former Co-Chair of HDP on Trial…
The case against Figen Yüksekdağ, former co-chair of HDP, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 16 is held on January 16, 2019. Figen Yüksekdağ personally attended the trial to make her defence. Lawyers of Yüksekdağ demanded the court board to withdraw on the grounds of lack of independence and objectivity. The court rejected the demand of recusation and decided to continue detention for Figen Yüksekdağ, adjourning the trial to March 11, 2019.
The indictment demands sentence for Figen Yüksekdağ, on the charge of ‘leading an illegal organisation’, for her activities including those within Democratic Society Congress (DTK).
(01/192) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The case against PhD M.A. from Bilgi University for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ are held on January 16, 2019. The court sentenced M.A. to 2 years and 1 month for “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization as a non-member”.
The separate cases against 4 academicians (Assist. Professor Efe Arık and Lecturer U.Ş. from Arel University and Assist. Professor Reyda Ergün from Kadir Has University; Professor Taner Gören from Istanbul University) for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 36 is held on January 16, 2019. The court sentenced 4 academicians to 1 year and 3 months each for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, and deferred the announcement of the verdicts.
The separate cases against 5 academicians (Assoc. Professor Metin Altıok from Mersin University, Professor Murat Kızıl, Professor Emine Meşe and research assistant Hümeyra Yılmaz from Dicle University and research assistant Melek Zorlu from Munzur University) for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 35 is held on January 15, 2019. The court decided to ask the Ministry of Justice for permission to continue judging according to Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code and decided to end legal proceedings since then.
The case against Assoc. Professor Meltem Toksöz from Boğaziçi University for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 23 is held on January 16, 2019. The court adjourned the trial to May 16, 2019.
(01/193) Lawyer on Trial in Ankara…
The case against lawyer Buket Yılmaz from People’s Law Office, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 29 is held on January 16, 2019. After defence hearings the court decided to continue detention for Buket Yılmaz and adjourned the trial to February 15, 2019.
Buket Yılmaz was detained on December 15, 2017 and was arrested on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on December 22, 2017.
(01/194) Lawyers on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The case against 8 people including 7 journalists, on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 9, for the news reports on Dicle News Agency which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, about Musa Çitil, Diyarbakır Gendarmerie Regional Brigadier General during the curfew in Sur district of Diyarbakır and for social media posts sharing these news reports, is held on January 16, 2019.
The case was opened upon official complaint of Musa Çitil. The indictment demands jail penalty from 1 year to 3 years for A. Vahap Taş, Selman Çiçek, Kemal Sancılı, İnan Kızılkaya and Selim Günenç, Hamza Gündüz and Çağdaş Kaplan on the charges of ‘marking the identities of state officials that were assigned in fight against terrorism as targets’. The indictment also demands jail penalty from 1 year up to 5 years for Selman Çelik for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
The court accepted Musa Çitil’s demand to involve in the trials and adjourned the trial to May 8, 2019.
(01/195) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The case against Evrensel newspaper, on the charge of insulting Berat Albayrak, the Minister of Treasury and Finance, in the news report “Albayrak gives the cue of the programme to attack workers” published on July 13, 2018, started to be held on Bakırköy Penal Court of First Instance No 2 on January 16, 2019. The court accepted Berat Albayrak’s demand to involve in the trials and adjourned the trial to March 15, 2019.
(01/196) Person on Trial in Urfa for ‘Making Propaganda for an Illegal Organisation’…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 16, 2019 that, a person named Seydi Turgut was sentenced to 1 year and 10 months by Urfa Heavy Penal Court No 6 on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation on social media’, and the sentence was approved by Antep Regional Court.
(01/197) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On January 16, 2019, 40 people including military members on active duty are detained in operations covering 21 cities through a Konya based investigation; 4 people are detained in operations covering 2 cities through an Ankara based investigation; and 1 person is detained on a warrant in a house raid in Antep.
(01/198) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against Osman Karapınar, a former teacher dismissed by a state of emergency decree, is held on Malatya Heavy Penal Court No 1 on January 16, 2019. The court sentenced the defendant to 10 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
(01/199) ECHR Decision on Seventh-Day Adventists…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 16, 2019 that European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) concluded the application of 6 people (Meral Altınkaynak, Sibel Sahlimov, Hüsnü Bostan, Volkan Ataalp, Sahire Melek Jones and Erkin Altınkaynak who is not alive now) on Turkey’s denying of establishment of Seventh-Day Adventists Foundation. ECHR sentenced Turkey to pay damages for ‘violating the freedom of assembly and association’. According to ECHR decision, Turkey will pay 8724 Euro in total to 6 people as damages.
[1]The reports on the human rights violations of the Documentation Center are claims unless they are certified. The claim of violation either is certified through thoroughly investigations of HRFT Documentation Center, including by judicial verdicts, and becomes a definite data or it is not included to the annual report.
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[5] Daily Human Rights Reports are prepared on the information gathered by the Documentation Center from its own network and the following dailies and internet portals: Vatan, Milliyet, Hürriyet, Habertürk, Evrensel, Birgün, Cumhuriyet, Fırat Haber Ajansı, Jinnews, ETHA, Mezopotamya Ajansı, Yurt, YeniYaşam, NTV, Yeni Asya, Bianet, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, T724, İleri Haber, Siyasi Haber, Alınteri, Kızılbayrak, Sendika.org, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karınca, Gazete Duvar. Haber Sol, El Cezire, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Reuters, AFP.