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19 April 2018 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]

19 April 2018 Daily Human Rights Report

(04/212) State of Emergency is Expanded for the 7th Time…

The Prime Ministry Resolution for expanding the state of emergency is accepted by the voting in Turkish Grand National Assembly on April 18, 2018. Thus the state of emergency is expanded for the 7th time since it was announced first on July 20, 2016.

(04/213) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…

It is learned from news coverage of April 18, 2018 that 3 militants died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in rural areas of Dargeçit district of Mardin on March 26, 2018.

It is learned from news coverage of April 18, 2018 that 1 militant died in a clash in rural areas of Şırnak on April 13, 2018.

(04/214) 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 for a while to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on April 18, 2018 at 13.30 and 18.00.

It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on April 18, 2018, 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt, and Selvi Polat) and at 18.00 8 people (Nazan Bozkurt, Gülnaz Bozkurt, Mehmet Dersulu, Mahmut Konuk, Umutcan Aybak, Deniz Yılmaz, Ecem Polat and reporter Barbaros Aslan) were detained.

Thus in total 10 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on April 18, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.

(04/215) Detained Newspaper Employee in Antep…

Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper employee Barış Polat, who was detained in Antep Bus Terminal on April 12, 2018 is arrested by the court for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on April 18, 2018.

(04/216) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…

Police intervened the workers including Construction Workers’ Union representatives, who protest their company for not paying their wages and detained 7 workers. It is learned that detainees are released the same day after procedures at the prosecutor’s office. It is also learned that Alınteri newspaper reporter’s camera was seized at the intervention and the video footage was deleted. Police have intervened workers’ protest on April 17 too and detained 7 people.

(04/217) Özgür Gündem Case…

he case against Human Rights Foundation of Turkey chair Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu, journalist-writer Ahmet Nesin on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, ‘praising crime and criminals’ is held on April 18, 2018. The court decided to expect the official writ for Ahmet Nesin and adjourned the trial to October 9, 2018.

(04/218) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…

The case against 4 academicians (Esra Mungan, Meral Camcı, Muzaffer Kaya ve Kıvanç Ersoy) for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ continued to be held on April 18, 2018. It is learned that the permission of the Ministry of Justice for conducting the investigation according to Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code is attached to the case. After defence hearings the court decided to submit the case to the prosecutor’s office for legal opinion and adjourned the trial to October 9, 2018.

(04/219) Trial of Journalists in Istanbul…

The case against Çağrı Sarı, former managing editor of Evrensel newspaper, on official complaint of Berat Albayrak, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and his brother Serhat Albayrak for news reports covering “Paradise Papers” started to be held on April 18, 2018. The court adjourned the trial to June 13, 2018.

(04/220) Trial of Co-mayor…

The case against Rezan Zuğurli, co-mayor of Diyarbakır’s Lice district, on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 10 for attending the protest on arrestment of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Co-mayors, continued to be held on April 18, 2018. The indictment demands jail sentences up to 25 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’, ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, ‘praising crime and criminals’, attending illegal meetings and demonstrations unarmed and not leaving despite the warnings’. Zuğurli attended the trial via sound and vision system. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to July 2018.

(04/221) Trial of Revolutionary Youth Associations’ Secretary…

The case against Revolutionary Youth Associations’ secretary Berkay Ustabaş for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on the grounds that he attended several events including Berkin Elvan’s funeral, started to be held on April 18, 2018. Berkay Ustabaş attended the trial via sound and vision system from Kırıkkale F Type Prison and made his defence. After defence hearings the court decided on continuation of detention and adjourned the trial to June 5, 2018.

Istanbul University student and Revolutionary Youth Associations’ secretary Berkay Ustabaş was arrested by the court for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on January 5, 2018.

            (04/222) Cases Against Reactions to Afrin Operation…

The case against Labour Party deputy Mehmet Türkmen on Gaziantep Heavy Penal Court No 8 for his social media posts about Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin, continued to be held on April 18, 2018. After defence hearings the court released Mehmet Türkmen on juridical control and house confinement conditions and adjourned the trial to April 5, 2018. Mehmet Türkmen was detained on January 28, 2018 and was arrested by the court on January 31, 2018.

The final trial of the case against Labour Party member Sinan Niron for his social media posts about Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin is held on April 18, 2018. The court sentenced Sinan Niron to 1 year and 6 months and postponed the sentence, thus Sinan Niron is released after the trial. Sinan Niron was detained in Eskişehir on January 31, 2018 and arrested by the court for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ on February 1, 2018.

(04/223) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

Süleyman Soylu, Minister of Interior, declared that 77.081 people (1.706 of them are in 2018) are arrested through “Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation/Parallel State Investigations” in the period starting from July 15 coup attempt to April 11, 2018.

In April 18, 2018, 9 people in Ankara, 4 people in Samsun, 4 people in operations covering 4 cities through a Karaman based investigation, in operations covering 8 cities through an Ankara based investigation 18 people including colonels and lieutenant colonels on active duty, and 6 people in operations covering 3 cities through a Manisa based investigation.

(04/224) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

The final trial of the case against 38 defendants including 11 arrestees on Samsun Heavy Penal Court No 3 is held on April 18, 2018. The court sentenced 21 defendants to jail penalties differing from 1 year 6 months and 22 days to 9 years fır ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court acquitted 17 defendants.

The final trial of the case against 86 people on Samsun Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on April 18, 2018. The court sentenced 29 defendants to jail penalties differing from 2 years and 1 month to 8 years and 1 month and 6 days for ‘being an illegal organisation member!. The court acquitted 55 defendants and decided to separate the case of 1 defendant.

The final trial of the case against Prof. Sabri Çolak on Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No 3 is held on April 18, 2018. The court sentenced Sabri Çolak to 7 years and 6 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.

The final trial case against 44 defendants (27 arrested) including former commander of Mechanized Infantry Brigade No 39, general Hasan Polat on Hatay Heavy Penal Court No 2, is held on April 18, 2018. The court sentenced general Hasan Polat, colonel Etem Metehan Yaşar and colonel Kadir Ayhan to heavy life penalty for ‘attempting to abolish the constitutional order’. The court sentenced 1 defendant to 16 years and 8 months and 1 defendant to 12 years and 6 months for ‘aiding the coup attempt’, 27 defendants to jail penalties differing from 3 years 1 month and 15 days to 12 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court acquitted 10 defendants and decided to separate the cases of 2 fugitive defendants.

The final trial of the case against Ahmet Ramiz Gülen (Fethullah Gülen’s nephew), Emrah Karayazı and Ahmet Karayazı on Gaziantep Heavy Penal Court No 8 is held on April 18, 2018. The court sentenced Ahmet Ramiz Gülen to 12 years, Emrah Karayazı to 15 years and Ahmet Karayazı to 6 years and 3 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.

The final trial of the case against 12 defendants on Kayseri Heavy Penal Court No 2, on the grounds that they organize meetings with families of people arrested through “Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation/Parallel State Investigations”, is held on April 18, 2018. The court sentenced 9 people to jail penalties differing from 3 years 1 month 15 days to 8 years and 9 months. 3 defendants are acquitted.

 (04/225) Preventions and Interventions Against May 1 Preparations…

It is learned from news coverage of April 18, 2018 that the application for a march from Kızılay to Tandoğan on May 1 is rejected by Ankara Governorate. The application was made by Ankara Chamber of Medicine, Union of Chambers of Turkısh Engineers and Architects, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey, Education and Science Workers’ Union and Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions. It is reported that the governorate considered some chants and banners which will be shouted and hung during the march, and decided that some of them attack the state institutions, organs, political parties, and insult military operations. It is reported that governorate demands to be applied once again but without these chants and banners this time.

 [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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[4] https://twitter.com/insanhaklari

[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, ETHA, Dihaber, Yurt, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, Ntv, Bianet.org, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Alinteri, Kızılbayrak, Özgür Radyo, Sendika.org, El Cezire,BBC, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karınca, Gazete Duvar.