Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
18 – 20 January 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/151) Extra-Judicial Killing in Istanbul…
On January 18, 2020, a Bulgarian national Milen Stoyanov Bahchevanov (33), alleged to take someone hostage with a knife in a restaurant in Bayrampaşa district of Istanbul, died due to fire opened by the police. It is stated in the news reports that the police fired at least 20 times to Milen Stoyanov Bahchevanov, and that 1 street guard was injured due to police intervention.
(01/152) Operations and Attack in Southeast…
Ministry of National Defence announced that 1 soldier who got wounded due to hand grenade dropped by himself, in Hakurk area of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government died in hospital on January 17, 2020.
(01/153) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 17, 2020 that, in Elazığ High Security Prison No 2, personal belongings of prisoners are scattered around during ward searches, books, magazines, newspapers, notebooks etc. are seized, and prisoners are subjected to physical violence during searches. It is stated in the news reports that cultural and social rights of prisoners are limited, radios of prisoners are seized and the number of books per prisoner is limited to 7.
(01/154) Prevention of Right to Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 17, 2020 that, prisoners in Elazığ High Security Prison No 2 are forced to be medically examined in handcuffs; and prisoners who reject it are taken back to prison from hospital without being examined and treated.
(01/155) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on January 17, 2020 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s sister and brother and tutelary along with the families of Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar and Veysel Aktaş in order to visit, was rejected the same day on the grounds of limitations for prisoners in accordance with the Law on the Execution of Criminal and Security Measures Number 5275.
(01/156) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the group including People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu and Human Rights Association (IHD) executives at Güvenpark in Ankara, gathered for “Justice March” on January 19, 2020. 66 people including IHD executive Adnan Vural, and Nazan Bozkurt, one of “I Want My Job Back” protestors, and several people at the park are detained by police using physical violence. It is learned that the police physically intervened Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu. It is reported that detainees are released on the same day.
(01/157) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…
On January 17, 2020, the police intervened the press declaration of Ankara Medical Chamber in front of Dışkapı Hospital Emergency Service, about violence against health workers. It is learned that 4 people (Health and Social Service Employees Union Ankara Branch chair Hüsnü Yıldırım, DİSK Retired Persons Union former chair Veli Beysulen, Revolutionary Mine Workers’ Union Organiser Muhammet Alkış and physician Rıza Özbek) are detained by the police using physical violence and are handcuffed behind their backs. It is reported that the police used shields to prevent physicians from attending the press declaration. It is learned that detained 4 people are released on the same day.
(01/158) 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 1167 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on January 17, 18, and 19, 2020 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 17, 2020, 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Acun Karadağ) and at 18.00 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Melek Çetinkaya, mother of a military student who was sentenced to heavy life imprisonment in coup attempt related cases) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on January 18, 2020, 2 people (Alev Şahin and Acun Karadağ) and at 18.00 2 people (Alev Şahin and Nazan Bozkurt) were detained.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on January 19, 2020, 1 people (Acun Karadağ) and at 18.00 2 people (Acun Karadağ and Umutcan Aybak) were detained.
Thus in total 11 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on January 17, 18, and 19, 2020. It is learned detained people were released on the same days they were detained.
(01/159) Prevention of Saturday Mothers’ Protest in Istanbul…
Police obstructed all the streets around Galatasaray Square in Istanbul to prevent Saturday Mothers who rally every Saturday for 23 years in the same place to gather for the 773rd time on January 18, 2020. Upon police prevention, the group including representatives of political parties, human rights defenders and artists along with families of disappeared people held a press declaration on the street of Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul office.
(01/160) Prevention of Human Rights Defenders’ Event in Istanbul…
“F sit-in”, which is organized for the 408th time by Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch Prison Watch Committee, to demand release of ill prisoners, on January 18, 2020, is prevented by the police. The police obstructed all the streets around Galatasaray Square. Human rights defenders made the press declaration in front of IHD Istanbul office.
(01/161) Detained HDP Executives in Ankara…
7 people including HDP executives, who were detained through an Ankara based investigation on January 15, 2020 are released by the court on judicial control conditions on January 17, 2020. Detained people were: HDP Ankara provincial executive Zeliha Ünlü, HDP Mamak district executive Remziye Güçlü, HDP Mamak former district co-chair Lale Ekmen, Peace Mother Gülistan Ozgan and Democratic Alevi Association Mamak district executive Hüsniye Kat, Rukiye Şen and Hacer Özmen.
(01/162) Former Co-Mayor on Trial…
The case against Sara Kaya, former co-mayor of Nusaybin district of Mardin, is held on Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4 on January 17, 2020. Sara Kaya joined the trial from prison via sound and vision system.
The court decided to continue detention of Sara Kaya and adjourned the trial to March 6, 2020.
Sara Kaya was detained on January 13, 2017 and was arrested by the court on January 26, 2017. Ministry of Interior appointed a trustee to Nusaybin district on September 11, 2016.
(01/163) Journalists, Writers and Others on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against Bloomberg reporters Kerim Karakaya and Fercan Yalınkılıç who reported news on financial crisis and increasing exchange rates, and 36 people who shared and commented on these news reports on social media including Mustafa Sönmez, Merdan Yanardağ, Gazi Kozanoğlu, Sedef Kabaş Yirmibeşoğlu, upon the official complaint of Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 3 on January 17, 2020. The indictment demands jail penalty from 2 years to 5 years for 38 people, on the charge of ‘attempt to weaken financial order and stability of the state’. After defence hearings the court issued a warrant for absent defendants and adjourned the trial to May 8, 2020.
(01/164) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The indictment of Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office against Aydın Keser, chief editor of Yeni Yaşam daily newspaper, is accepted by Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 22 on January 17, 2020. The indictment concerns a news report, “No peace flows from this spring” related to military operation “Peace Spring”, published on October 10, 2019.
The indictment demands sentence for Aydın Keser on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
The first trial of the case will be held on February 7, 2020.
(01/165) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On January 17, 2020, Fatsa Mercantile Exchange chair Ali Feyzi and former executive board member Hulusi Yerbasmaz and 2 employees are detained in Fatsa district of Ordu. Ali Feyzi and Hulusi Yerebasmaz are arrested by the court on the same day while 2 employees are released on judicial control conditions.
82 of 145 people inducing military members on active duty who were detained through an Izmir based investigation on January 14, 2020, are arrested by the court on January 18, 2020. 63 people are released provided that 24 of them will be on judicial control conditions.
[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, 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.