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24 July 2020 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

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

24 July 2020 Daily Human Rights Report

(07/271) Person Subjected to Physical Violence of the Police in Istanbul…

It is learned from the news coverage of July 23, 2020 that, a person named Serdar Turgut was subjected to physical violence of the police in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on July 7, 2020. It is stated in the news reports that two undercover police officers came to Serdar Turgut while he was selling street food with his mobile stall and asked him to show his ID card; and then they took his stall; Serdar Turgut was followed by police officers when he moved away from that point and he was subjected to physical violence of the police officers. It could be seen from the footage of a surveillance camera that a police officer forces Serdar Turgut to lay down on the ground while another officer kicks him at the face. It is learned that the police intervened people around the scene. It is learned that another person, Muhittin Kaya was subjected to physical violence of the police for he was recording police violence with his phone, and that he was detained. It is reported that Muhittin Kaya was forced to delete the video on his phone at the police station.

Serdar Turgut stated the following: “One of them tied my hands behind my back while the other one was kicking and punching my face. People at the park reacted against the police and one police officer said ‘I am the chief, I am the judge here. I rule everything here’. Then many other police officers came”.

Muhittin Kaya states the following: “I started to record a video. The guy was on the ground and the police was hitting at his head. One of them clamped his head with his arm, and another police officer were hitting him with his helmet. I was recording everything. A watchman noticed me. He directly handcuffed me behind my back and forced me to lay down on the ground. He dragged me to where the others were and continued to hit me on the ground. They detained me. They wanted to get my phone at the station. I said that it was not legal but five police officers surrounded me and they forced me to delete the video recording”.

(07/272) Asylum Seekers Subjected to Torture and Ill-Treatment at Gendarmerie Station in Van…

It is learned from the news coverage of July 23, 2020 that Khales Arsan, an Iranian citizen who was alleged to illegally cross from Iran to Turkey through a village of Çaldıran district of Van on July 19, 2020 and who was went missing since then, was kept under custody in border post. The name of mentioned village and the name of border post is not stated in the news reports. It is claimed in the news reports that Khales Arsan was subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody at the border post. It is also stated in the news reports that 19 other asylum seekers who were under custody at the same border post were also subjected to torture and ill-treatment and 20 people were left at Iranian border after being kept at the post for 3 days.

Khales Arsan states the following: “There were 19 asylum seekers at the station I was taken to (…) A gendarmerie commander and 6 soldiers beat us with clubs, hammers and iron bars at the station. They were taking one of us to beat each time. They tortured us like this for 3 days”.

(07/273) Prevention of Right to Health in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of July 23, 2020 that, Fatma Özbay, an ill prisoner with cancer, in Izmir Şakran Prison, was being kept in solitary cell and her medication was not given to her.

(07/274) 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 1353 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on July 23, 2020 at 13.30 and 18.00 and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.

(07/275) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Düzce…

On July 23, 2020, the police intervened the press declaration of Alev Şahin in order to regain her job from which she was dismissed by a state of emergency decree, in front of Düzce Governorate and detained her. Alev Şahin was released on the same day.

(07/276) Detained City Council Member in Urfa…

Sema Aişeoğlu, city council member from Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Bozova district of Urfa, who was detained on July 22, 2020 is released by the court on July 23, 2020.

(07/277) Investigation Against Community Houses Chair…

It is learned that an investigation was initiated against Berivan Bila, chair of Community House in Sarıgazi district of Istanbul, for her social media posts and Berivan Bila gave her official statement at Istanbul Court House Press Offences Department on July 23, 2020.

(07/278) Ban of Events in Hatay…

Hatay Governorate made a declaration on July 23, 2020 and announced that, all open and indoor events such as demonstrations, press declarations, meetings, sit-ins, opening stands and tents, festivals, concerts, delivering leaflets and so on are banned as of 00.01 on July 24, 2020 until 23.59 on July 26, 2020.

(07/280) Ban of Access to Web Contents…

It is learned that a news report about Minister of Finance and Treasury, on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/ and https://gazetemanifesto.com/ websites is banned to access by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 7 on July 22, 2020.

(07/282) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

On July 23, 2020, 14 people including military members on active duty are detained in operations covering 12 cities through an Ankara based investigation against Gendarmerie General Command personnel.

(07/283) Covid-19 Pandemic…

Ministry of Health declared that 18 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 913 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on July 23, 2020.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 5,563 and total number of confirmed cases is 223,315 as of July 23, 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.