Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
18 February 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/189) Person Was Forced to be Police Informant in Ankara…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 17, 2020 that, People’s Democratic Party (HDP) board delegate member Saim Serin was forced to be a police informant by persons claim themselves as police officers, after he got off a city bus in Ankara on February 9, 2020.
Saim Serin stated the following: “The bus was supposed to go to Kızılay but it arrived to Beşevler. The bus driver said it was the last stop and asked me to get off. I thought I was mistaken and got off the bus. But I checked the bus number, I was not mistaken, it was number 286. At that moment two people came to me and claimed to be police officers, and told me that they want to have a chat with me. Although I told that I did not want, they forcefully took me to a cafe. They asked questions about HDP, like ‘Which executives of HDP do you know’, ‘who is responsible for what’, ‘why you are not executive any more’, ‘why are you a member of HDP’ and etc… They gave me a phone number and told that I could call them any time. And they said ‘you have little kids at school, we could help you in any way’ lastly before they left.”
(02/190) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 17, 2020 that, in Izmir Şakran Women’s Prison, radios of prisoners are seized, personal belongings of prisoners are scattered around and some are seized, social, cultural and sports rights of prisoners are prevented, letters sent to prisoners are not delivered and letters they wrote are not sent, and some products at prison commissary store are expired.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 17, 2020 that, Abdülkadir Baybars, a prisoner who is kept in single cell in Osmaniye T Type Prison was subjected to physical violence of the wardens.
(02/191) Prevention of Right to Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 17, 2020 that, in Izmir Şakran Women’s Prison, prisoners are referred to hospitals with months of delay and they are forced to be examined in handcuffs.
(02/192) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the sit-in protest after press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 1196 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on February 17, 2020 at 13.30, and forced 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Alev Şahin) away the street by using physical violence. Sercan Çakır and U. A. (17), including a juvenile, who react to police intervention are detained by the police using physical violence and handcuffing them behind their backs.
At 18.00 the police did not intervene.
(02/193) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the protestors in front of Çankaya Public Health Directorate on February 17, 2020, who rally to regain their jobs from which they had been dismissed by state of emergency decrees, and detained 3 people (Mahmut Konuk and Eser Budak and Nazan Bozkurt who was recording). It is learned that 3 people were released the same day.
(02/194) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened the press declaration for Mustafa Koçak, İbrahim Gökçek and Helin Bölek, at Khalkedon Square in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on February 17, 2020 and detained Feridun Osmanoğlu. Mustafa Koçak is on death fast for 2230 days in Izmir Şakran T Type Prison, to demand a fair trial. İbrahim Gökçek and Helin Bölek have gone on a hunger strike on June 18, 2019 and İbrahim Gökçek turned his strike to a death fast on January 3, 2020 and Helin Bölek did it so on January 20, 2020.
(02/195) Police Prevention to a Declaration in Diyarbakır…
The press declaration of People’s Democratic Party (HDP) for its 4th Congress, which was to be held in Ofis neighbourhood of Diyarbakır on February 17, 2020, is prevented by the police on the grounds of Diyarbakır Governorate’s “ban on open-door declarations”.
(02/196) Police Prevention to a Declaration in Van…
The police prevented distribution of leaflets for HDP’s 4th Congress in Van on February 14, 2020, on the grounds of governorate’s ban on events.
(02/197) Detained Former MP in Kars…
Former MP Mahmut Alınak who was detained in Kars on February 13, 2020, because of his book “Mehmet Tunç and Bêkes”, is arrested by the court on February 17, 2020, according to Article 302 of Turkish Penal Code which defines crimes ‘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’.
Mahmut Alınak’s book “Mehmet Tunç and Bêkes” was banned by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 2 on December 5, 2019.
(02/198) Detained HDP Executive in Van…
HDP Party Assembly member Yunus Durdu, who was detained from HDP Van MP Murat Sarısaç’s car that was stopped by a civilian car on February 14, 2020, is arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on February 17, 2020.
(02/199) Detained People in Ankara…
10 people who were detained in Ankara on February 14, 2020, are released on February 17, 2020 provided that 3 of them are on judicial control conditions.
(02/200) Detained People in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that 20 people including HDP provincial executive İrfan Söner, HDP Bağlar district co-chair Mehmet Atlıhan, HDP Yenişehir district co-chair Sadrettin Kaya, Democratic Islam Congress member Mele Yusuf Andan, DBP Bağlar district executive Ali Alkan, HDP Bağlar district executive Abdullah Dengiz and former member of Bağlar district council Rıfat Turfan, who were detained in house raids in Diyarbakır on February 14, 2020, are released on February 17, 2020. 4 people are released on judicial control conditions: İrfan Söner, Halef Caruş, Hasan Çiçek and Halis Tekok.
(02/201) Detained Students in Tunceli…
7 university students who were detained in Tunceli on February 14, 2020 are released on February 17, 2020 provided that 1 of them is on judicial control conditions. It is learned that students were forced to be police informants under custody. Names of students are: Hazal Öztemel, Mustafa Abdaloğulları, Şiyar Şevli, Dilaver Paksoy, Kahraman Yıldız, Cengiz Fidan and Firaz Tekol.
(02/202) Detained People in Istanbul…
7 people who were detained in Istanbul on February 14, 2020 are released on February 17, 2020 provided that 2 of them are on judicial control conditions.
(02/203) Detained People in Mardin…
8 people who were detained in Mardin on February 15, 2020 are released on February 17, 2020.
(02/204) Detained People in Şırnak for Social Media Posts…
12 people who were detained in Cizre district of Şırnak on February 14, 2020 for their social media posts are released on February 17, 2020.
(02/205) Co-Mayor on Trial in Hakkari…
The first trial of the case against Hakkari co-mayor Cihan Karaman is held at Hakkari Heavy Penal Court No 2 on February 17, 2020.
After defence hearings the court decided to continue detention of Cihan Karaman and adjourned the trial to April 24, 2020.
Cihan Karaman was detained on October 15, 2019 and was arrested by the court on October 17, 2019. Ministry of Interior appointed governor as a trustee to Hakkari Municipality on October 17, 2019.
(02/206) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against Ferhat Parlak, reporter and grant holder of Silvan Mücadele newspaper is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 11 on February 17, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for Ferhat Parlak on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
The court decided to send a writ for anonymous witnesses and to desist from hearing anonymous witnesses in case of refusal to writ and adjourned the trial to May 6, 2020.
Ferhat Parlak was detained in Diyarbakır on April 11, 2018 and was arrested on April 14, 2018. He was released by the court on July 8, 2019.
(02/207) People on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The retrial of the case against 14 students of Dicle University, for participating in a protest of Roboski Massacre, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 9 on February 17, 2020. 14 people have been acquitted by the court but Supreme Court has reversed the verdict.
After defence hearings the court sentenced 14 people to 3 years 1 month and 15 days each on the charge of ‘committing crime on behalf of the organisation although not being a member’.
(02/208) People on Trial in Kocaeli…
The final trial of the case against 12 students of Kocaeli University, for events they attended and books they have in their houses, is held at Kocaeli Heavy Penal Court No 5 on February 17, 2020.
The court sentenced 10 people to jail penalties from 6 years to 7 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court acquitted 2 people.
(02/209) People on Trial in Kırklareli…
The retrial of the case against 230 people for participating in Gezi Park protests in 2013 is held at Kırklareli Penal Court of First Instance No 2 on February 2020. The court has acquitted 230 people but Supreme Court has reversed the verdict.
After defence hearings the court acquitted 230 people.
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