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07 May 2020 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

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

7 May 2020 Daily Human Rights Report

(05/048) Grup Yorum Band Member İbrahim Gökçek Lost His Life…

Grup Yorum band member İbrahim Gökçek, who was on death fast for 323 days to demand an end to oppression and bans on Grup Yorum, and who ended his fast on May 5, 2020, following applications to Izmir and Istanbul governorates for a concert, died in hospital on May 7, 2020.

İbrahim Gökçek went on a hunger strike in Silivri Prison on June 18, 2019; and turned his strike to a death fast on January 3, 2020. He was released from prison according to Istanbul Forensic Institution report which declares he cannot stay in prison, on February 24, 2020 by Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37 with a ban on leaving the country and leaving his house. He continued his strike with Helin Bölek in a house in Küçükarmutlu neighbourhood of Sarıyer district of Istanbul. The police had raided the house on March 11, 2020; and Helin Bölek and İbrahim Gökçek were taken to Ümraniye Research and Training Hospital on the grounds of a court order. They were discharged from hospital on March 16, 2020, after the court order was lifted upon appeal.

Helin Bölek lost her life in the house in Küçükarmutlu neighbourhood of Sarıyer district of Istanbul, on 288th day of her death fast, on April 3, 2020.

(05/049) Death Fast in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of May 6, 2020 that, 8 prisoners in Konya Seydişehir T Type Prison went on a death fast to demand an end to right violations. Names of prisoners are: Cuma Dayan, Yılmaz Uçar, Şiyar Fırat, Mustafa Akan, Önder Korkmaz, Resul Ertaş, Davut Alagöz, Murat Aşkan.

(05/050) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of May 6, 2020 that, in Bayburt M Type Prison, prisoners are not given face masks despite of Covid-19 pandemic. It is also stated in the news reports that prisoners were not given hot water.

(05/051) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…

The police intervened the press declarations of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 1275 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on May 6, 2020 at 13.30 and at 18.00, and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.

(05/052) Police Prevention to a Protest in Kocaeli…

The police prevented the press declaration of Labour Party (EMEP) in Gebze district of Kocaeli on May 6, 2020, for commemoration of Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan who were executed. It is learned that the press declaration was held at EMEP district office.

(05/053) Journalist on Trial in Muğla…

The first trial of the case against journalist Hakan Aygün, on the charge of ‘insulting religious values’ in his social media post (“Ey IBAN edenler”) which criticizes Presidential charity campaign by making a wordplay with reference to a religious phrase, is held at Bodrum Penal Court of First Instance No 3 on May 6, 2020.

After defence hearings the court released Hakan Aygün and adjourned the trial to July 14, 2020. It is learned that prosecutor’s office appealed to release decision.

Hakan Aygün was detained on April 2, 2020 and was arrested by the court on April 3, 2020.

(05/054) Co-Mayors on Trial in Van…

The trial of the case against Şehzade Kurt and Azim Yacan, co-mayors of İpekyolu district of Van, is held at Van Heavy Penal Court No 7 on May 6, 2020.

The indictment demands sentence for Şehzade Kurt and Azim Yacan on the charges of ‘being an illegal organisation member’, ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and ‘violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations’.

After defence hearings the court decided to continue detention of Şehzade Kurt and Azim Yacan and adjourned the trial to June 17, 2020.

Şehzade Kurt and Azim Yacan were detained on November 8, 2019 and were arrested by the court on November 11, 2019. Ministry of Interior appointed a trustee to İpekyolu district on November 9, 2019.

(05/055) Former HDP MP on Trial…

9 year and 8 months’ sentence given to former HDP Hakkari MP Selma Irmak by Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court on the charges of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ is approved by Penal Department No 16 of the Supreme Court on May 6, 2020.

(05/056) Former MP on Trial…

The indictment of Kars Public Prosecutor’s Office against former MP Mahmut Alınak is accepted by Kars Heavy Penal Court No 2.

The indictment states the phone call of Mahmut Alınak with two disputed families, donating the profit from his book “Mehmet Tunç and Bekes” to Mehmet Tunç’s family, giving a petition to the United Nations for acceptance of Kurdish as an official language and other political activities as elements of crime; and demands life imprisonment of Mahmut Alınak on the charge of ‘committing an act to place all, or part, of the territory of the state under the sovereignty of a foreign state or to disrupt the unity of the state or to weaken the independence of the state or to separate part of the territory under the sovereignty of the state from the state administration’.

The first trial of the case will be held on May 13, 2020.

Mahmut Alınak was detained in Kars on February 13, 2020 and was arrested by the court on February 17, 2020.

Mahmut Alınak’s book “Mehmet Tunç and Bekes” (2017) was banned by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 2 on December 5, 2019.

(05/057) Criminal Complaint Against Writer…

On May 6, 2020, President Tayyip Erdoğan, following Communications Director Republic of Turkey Fahrettin Altun, filed a criminal complaint against writer Ragıp Zarakolu, for his article “No Escape of Ill-Fate”, published on Artı Gerçek news portal. It is learned that President also filed complaints against executive editors of Evrensel newspaper and Artı Gerçek news portal.

(05/058) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

The final trial of the case against a person named O. B. is held at Adana Heavy Penal Court No 14 on May 5, 2010. The court sentenced the defendant to 10 years on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.

(05/059) Covid-19 Pandemic…

Ministry of Health declared that 64 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 2,253 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on May 6, 2020.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 3,584 and total number of confirmed cases is 131,744 as of May 6, 2020.

[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.

[2]To subscribe to the e-mail group: please write ‘daily human rights reports subscription application’ to the title of your e-mail and sent it to dokumantasyon@tihv.org.tr.

[3]https://www.facebook.com/TIHV.HRFT

[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, Jinnews, ETHA, Mezopotamya Ajansı, Yurt, Yeni Yaşam, NTV, Yeni Asya, Bianet, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Tr724, 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.