Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
16 January 2019 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/173) Torture and Ill-Treatment Under Custody in Diyarbakır…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 15, 2019 that, Mehmet Tekmir was subjected to physical violence of the police during law enforcement database check in Diyarbakır on January 7, 2019. It is stated in the news reports that Mehmet Tekmir was detained afterwards and was subjected to torture and ill-treatment at the police station he was taken.
Mehmet Tekmir stated in the news reports as following: “(…) The police came to us and asked for our ID cards. And then they made body search. While they were checking our identity information on law enforcement database, we were eating sunflower seeds. A blonde police officer with blue eyes, came towards me and hit me at the chest with his police radio. I asked ‘What are you doing’ and he started to curse me. I responded back and other police officers came around and 5 or 6 people started to beat me. They made me down on the floor and sprayed pepper gas right into my eyes. One of them stepped on my back, others were kicking me and slapping my face while pulling my hair. They beat me for about 10 minutes without putting handcuffs. (…) I could not see the car they put me in because of the pepper gas they sprayed. They asked me whether I was single or not, and started to curse me and beat me when I said ‘Yes’.”
(01/174) People Who Were Subjected to Police Violence in Diyarbakır…
It is claimed on the news coverage of January 15, 2019 that, 5 people in a cafe in Diyarbakır were subjected to police violence for listening to Kurdish music.
Mahsum Bat stated the following on the police violence: “We were subjected to insults and violence both at the case and at 10 Nisan Police Station for listening to Kurdish music. An undercover police officer said ‘Do not you know that Kurdish music is forbidden’, at the cafe. He threatened and insulted us. After he said ‘you will see in 10 minutes’, a group of almost 50 police officers came. We were tortured there for 25-30 minutes. We were also tortured at the police station until the next morning.”
(01/175) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 15, 2019 that heating does not work at Izmir F Type Prison No 1 and that numerous prisoners are kept in solitary cells in Elazığ Prison No 1 and the number of books per prisoner is limited to 7.
(01/176) Prevention of Prisoner’s Right to Health…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 15, 2019 that Umut Beyaz, an ill prisoner blind in one eye, who is kept in Bandırma Prison No 1, was not treated and has the risk of losing his healthy eye due to not being properly treated.
It is learned from the news coverage of January 15, 2019 that Cihat Özdemir, a prisoner kept in Kırıkkale F Type Prison has nodule at thyroid gland but was not treated.
It is learned from the news coverage of January 15, 2019 that Talat Şanlı, a prisoner with kidney disease in Van F Type Prison, was not treated at the hospital he was referred to.
(01/178) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on January 15, 2019 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers in order to visit their client was rejected the same day on the grounds of limitations for prisoners in accordance with the law on the execution of sentences and security measures (law no 5275). With the last rejection, it was the 781st time that appeals for visiting Öcalan have been rejected so far. Abdullah Öcalan has met his lawyers on July 27, 2011 for the last time.
(01/179) 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 798 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on January 15, 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 and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.
Thus in total 4 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on January 15, 2019. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(01/180) Police Intervention Against Workers’ Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened the protest of Okmeydanı Research and Education Hospital construction workers for not receiving their wages, which was to be held in front of the contractor Taş Yapı company on January 15, 2019, and detained 3 workers and Yunus Özgür, organiser of construction workers’ union İnşaat-İş. It is learned that detained 4 people were released on the same day after statement procedures.
(01/181) Detained Lawyer in Istanbul…
On January 15, 2019, lawyer Didem Baydar Ünsal who is on “Solidarity Watch for Arrested Lawyers” outside of Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul and 2 people (Hasan Kocaman and Batuhan Şen) supporting her, are detained.
It is learned that detained 3 people are released after statement procedures on the same day.
(01/182) Detained Person in Antalya for Social Media Posts…
On January 15, 2019, a person named Samih Alankuş is detained in house raids in Antalya on for social media posts.
(01/183) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The case against Research Assistant Çare Olgun Çalışkan from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 28 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ are held on January 15, 2019. The court adjourned the trial to May 14, 2019.
The separate cases against 2 academicians (PhD Ohannes Kılıçdağı from Bilgi University and Assoc. Professor Sibel Yardımcı from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University) for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 24 is held on January 15, 2019. The court adjourned the trial of the case against Sibel Yardımcı to April 25, 2019 and the trial of the case against Ohannes Kılıçdağı to May 28, 2019.
The separate cases against 2 academicians (Professor A.Ö. from Boğaziçi University and Assist. Professor M.Y.Ş. from Bilgi University) for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 29 is held on January 15, 2019. The court adjourned the trial of the case against M.Y.Ş. to May 2, 2019 and the trial of the case against A.Ö. to May 9, 2019.
(01/184) HDP MP on Trial…
The case against HDP Kars MP Ayhan Bilgen on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5 is held on January 15, 2019. The court rejected the demand of ending legal proceedings against Ayhan Bilgen, who was re-elected as MP on June 24, 2018; and adjourned the trial to April 16, 2019.
The indictment demands jail sentence from 11 years to 25 years 6 months on the charges of “being an illegal organisation member”, “provoking to commit crime” and “inciting the public for illegal meetings and demonstrations”.
(01/185) General Secretary of Revolutionary Youth Associations is on Trial…
The case against Berkay Ustabaş, general secretary of Revolutionary Youth Associations (DGD) and a sociology student in Istanbul University, and against Helin Bölek, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 26, is held on January 15, 2019.
After defence hearings the court released Berkay Ustabaş and Helin Bölek on judicial control conditions, and adjourned the trial to April 15, 2019.
The indictment demands sentence for Berkay Ustabaş and Helin Bölek on the charges of ‘organising and leading illegal meetings and demonstrations’, and ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
Berkay Ustabaş was arrested on January 5, 2018 at Çağlayan Courthouse where he has been to give statement. Helin Bölek was detained in a raid to İdil Cultural Center on November 21, 2016 and was arrested by the court on November 23, 2016.
(01/186) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On January 15, 2019, 12 people are detained in house raids in Izmir, and one former teacher dismissed by a state of emergency decree is detained in Adana.
(01/187) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against Şakir Batmaz on Kayseri Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on January 15, 2019. The court sentenced the defendant to 12 years and 6 months for ‘establishing and leading an illegal organisation’.
[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.