Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
19 December 2019 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/203) Torture and Il-Treatment Under Custody in Mersin…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 18, 2019 that, Gernas Atuğ, who was taken to Mersin after being detained in Edirne on December 9, 2019, was subjected to torture and ill-treatment at Mersin Police Directorate.
It is reported that Gernas Atuğ’s father Nurettin Atuğ applied to Human Rights Association (IHD) Mersin branch.
(12/204) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 17, 2019 that, prisoners were subjected to physical violence of the wardens during searches in Şırnak T Type Prison and 2 injured prisoners were taken to hospital.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 18, 2019 that PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş kept in İmralı High Security Prison, are subjected to a disciplinary penalty on October 21, 2019. İbrahim Bilmez, lawyer of Abdullah Öcalan, stated that they have heard of the penalty on November 29, 2019 and the prison administration did not inform them on the content of it.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 18, 2019 that, İrfan Sarı, co-mayor of Yüksekova district of Van, was kept in solitary cell since November 5, 2019, when he was transferred to Elazığ High Security Prison No 2 under coercion. İrfan Sarı was arrested on October 17, 2019.
(12/205) 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 1135 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on December 18, 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 December 18, 2019, 3 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Mehmet Dersulu) and at 18.00 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Mehmet Dersulu) were detained.
Thus in total 4 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on December 18, 2019. It is learned detained people were released on the same days they were detained.
(12/206) Police Prevention to a Protest in Muş…
The police prevented People’s Democratic Party (HDP) members to have a press declaration in Muş on December 18, 2019, about trustee appointments to Bulanık, Varto and Erentepe municipalities.
(12/207) Police Prevention to Leaflet Distribution in Ankara…
It is learned that HDP members including MP’s delivering leaflets in Sakarya Street in Ankara, about provincial congress of HDP to be held on December 21, 2019, are prevented by the police.
(12/208) Detained Co-Mayors in Muş…
Ülkü Karaaslan and Mahmut Yalçın, co-mayors of Varto district; Eylem Saruca and Adnan Topçu, co-mayors of Bulanık district; and Dilaver Keskin, co-mayor of Erentepe town in Muş, who were detained on December 17, 2019, are referred to the court on December 18, 2019. The court arrested Ülkü Karaaslan and Adnan Topçu on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’; and released Mahmut Yalçın, Eylem Saruca and Dilaver Keskin on judicial control conditions.
(12/209) Detained Journalist in Ağrı…
Journalist Aziz Oruç who was detained on December 11, 2019 in Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı is arrested by the court on December 18, 2019 on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
HDP’s Doğubayazıt district co-chair Abdullah Ekelek and Muhammet İkram, who were detained with Aziz Oruç, were arrested by the court on the charge of ‘aiding an illegal organisation’.
(12/210) Detained People in Mardin…
5 of 11 people including HDP Mardin co-chair Salih Kuday and Mardin Medical Chamber chair Derya Etem who were detained in house raids in Mardin on December 11, 2019, are referred to the court on December 18, 2019. 4 people including Derya Etem are released on judicial control conditions by the court and 1 person is released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office. It is learned that detention period is extended 2 more days for 6 people.
(12/211) Detained Political Party Members in Malatya…
Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association executive Hatice Zengin, Saime Tuncel, Gülbahar Doğan and Betül Kurnaz Kılıç, who were detained in house raids in Malatya on December 17, 2019, are released on December 18, 2019. It is learned that 7 people are still under custody.
(12/212) Journalists on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The case against 8 people including 7 journalists, on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 9, for the news reports on Dicle News Agency which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, about Musa Çitil, Diyarbakır Gendarmerie Regional Brigadier General during the curfew in Sur district of Diyarbakır and for social media posts sharing these news reports, is held on December 18, 2019.
The case was opened upon official complaint of Musa Çitil. The indictment demands jail penalty from 1 year to 3 years for A. Vahap Taş, Selman Çiçek, Kemal Sancılı, İnan Kızılkaya and Selim Günenç, Hamza Gündüz and Çağdaş Kaplan on the charges of ‘marking the identities of state officials that were assigned in fight against terrorism as targets’. The indictment also demands jail penalty from 1 year up to 5 years for Selman Çelik for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
The court acquitted 7 people.
(12/213) Constitutional Court Decision on Freedom of Expression…
Constitutional Court’s decision on individual appeal of M. K. is published on the official gazette on December 18, 2019.
- K. was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months for the anthem “Çerxa Şoreşê” sang during a protest in 2013.
The court decided that freedom of expression of M. K. is violated and ruled a compensation of 9.150 Turkish Liras.
The court states the following: “Expressions which do not involve violent statements and danger of terrorism, cannot be seen as propaganda of terrorism just because they resemble ideology, political and social aims, and views of a terrorist organisation”.
(12/214) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On December 18, 2019, 18 people are detained through an investigation on former personnel of Prime Ministry and 12 people are detained in operations covering 9 cities through a Kütahya based investigation.
(12/215) Trustee Appointed to Bulanık, Varto and Urla districts and Erentepe Town…
It is learned that co-mayors of Bulanık district of Muş are suspended by Ministry of Interior on December 18, 2019 and Bulanık sub-governor Mehmet İlidi is appointed as trustee.
It is learned that co-mayors of Varto district of Muş are suspended by Ministry of Interior on December 18, 2019 and Varto sub-governor Ertuğrul Avcı is appointed as trustee.
It is learned that co-mayors of Erentepe town of Bulanık district of Muş are suspended by Ministry of Interior on December 18, 2019 and Bulanık sub-governor Mehmet İlidi is appointed as trustee.
It is learned that mayor of Urla district of Izmir is suspended by Ministry of Interior on December 18, 2019 and Urla sub-governor Önder Can is appointed as trustee.
With this last appointments, the number of trustees appointed since local elections on March 31, 2019, raised up to 28 including 3 metropolitan cities.
(12/216) Special Security Zone in Hakkari…
Hakkari Governorate made a declaration on December 17, 2019, and announced 2 areas with given coordinates in central, Çukurca, Şemdinli, Yüksekova and Derecik districts as special security zones as of December 18, 2019 until December 22, 2019.
[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.