Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
25 June 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(06/321) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from the news coverage of June 24, 2020 that, 1 militant died in a clash between security forces and MLKP/FESK militants in rural areas of Kağızman district of Kars.
(06/322) People Subjected to Police Violence in Şırnak…
It is learned that 5 people who had a dispute with the police officers conducting face mask control in Cizre district of Şırnak were subjected to police violence, on June 24, 2020. It is stated in the news reports that the police used electroshock weapon and pepper spray to intervene 5 people who were then detained.
(06/323) 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 1324 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on June 24, 2020 at 13.30 and 18.00 and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.
(06/324) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Düzce…
On June 24, 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.
(06/325) Detained People in Istanbul for Hanging a Banner…
On June 24, 2020, 4 members of Labourist Movement Party (EHP) who were hanging a banner saying “Take your hands off severance pay” in Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. Names of detained people are unknown.
(06/326) The Case Against Abducted Person in Ankara…
The first trial of the case against Yasin Ugan, who was abducted in Ankara on February 13, 2019; is held at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 34 on June 23, 2020. Yasin Ugan was abducted by a group of people who claim themselves as police and raid his house in Altındağ district of Ankara; and it was reported by the police to his family on July 29, 2020 that he was found nearby Ankara Police Directorate Anti-Terror Department.
It is learned that Yasin Ugan declares in his statement that, there was a bag on his head during all time he was kept abducted; there were several bruises on his body due to torture and ill-treatment he was subjected to and he could have a bath only three times during this time. It is also learned that Yasin Ugan states that he signed the previous statement without even seeing it and now he dismisses his lawyer. It is reported that the chief judge of the court will make a criminal complaint to Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office related to torture and ill-treatment allegations that Yasin Ugan stated.
After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial.
(06/327) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against Mehmet Ferhat Çelik (managing editor of Yeni Yaşam newspaper), Aydın Keser (executive editor of Yeni Yaşam newspaper), Barış Pehlivan (managing editor of Oda TV), Barış Terkoğlu (chief news editor of Oda TV) and reporter Hülya Kılınç and Murat Ağırel (Yeniçağ newspaper writer) for the news reports on National Intelligence officer who died in Libya and was buried in Manisa, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 34 on June 24, 2020.
The indictment demands jail sentence from 5 years to 10 years for 6 journalists, on the charge of, ‘disclosure of information relating to the security and political interests of the state’, noted in Article 329/1 of Turkish Penal Code, and from 4 years to 10 years on the charge of ‘disclosure of information and documents related to intelligence activity’, noted in Article 27 of the Law Amending the Law on State Intelligence Services and the National Intelligence Organization.
After defence hearings the court released Barış Terkoğlu, Aydın Keser and Ferhat Çelik; decided to continue detention of Murat Ağırel, Hülya Kılınç and Barış Pehlivan; and adjourned the trial to September 9, 2020.
Oda TV chief news editor Barış Terkoğlu and reporter Hülya Kılınç were detained on March 4, 2020 and were arrested by the court on March 5, 2020. Oda TV managing editor Barış Pehlivan was detained on March 6, 2020 and was arrested on the same day. Mehmet Ferhat Çelik, Aydın Keser and Murat Ağırel were detained and then released on judicial control conditions on March 6, 2020; however, upon prosecutor’s appeal they were detained again and were arrested on March 8, 2020.
(06/328) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against Deniz Yücel, Turkey reporter of German Die Welt newspaper, on the charges of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and ‘inciting hatred and hostility among people’ is held on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32 on June 24, 2020.
After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to July 16, 2020.
Deniz Yücel was detained on February 14, 2017 and was arrested by the court on February 27, 2017. The indictment against him was accepted by the court on February 16, 2018 and released Deniz Yücel on scheduling order.
(06/329) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against Evrensel newspaper writer Ender İmrek, on the grounds of ‘insulting President’s wife Emine Erdoğan, for his article “Hermes bag was shining bright”, is held at Bakırköy Penal Court of First Instance No 2 on June 24, 2020.
After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to October 8, 2020.
(06/330) “KCK Cizre Case”…
The final trial of the case known as “KCK Cizre Case” against 78 people including Mehmet Zırığ, co-mayor of Cizre district of Şırnak to which was a trustee was appointed, is held at Malatya Heavy Penal Court No 5 on June 24, 2020.
The court sentenced 67 people to jail penalties from 6 years and 3 months to 10 years on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’. Cizre co-mayor Mehmet Zırığ is also sentenced to 6 years and 3 months. The court acquitted 11 people.
(06/331) Former Co-Mayors and Other People on Trial in Mardin…
The final trial of the case against 50 people including Leyla Salman and Sevin Bozan, former co-mayors of Kızıltepe and Artuklu districts of Mardin, is held at Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 2 on June 24, 2020.
The court sentenced 21 people to jail penalties from 6 years and 3 months to 9 years on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’. Sentenced people are: 11 people (Cemal Veske, Emine Damar, Kemal Kaçmaz, Rıdvan Tarhan, Sadat İlek, Sadiye Aslan, Selahattin Aydoğdu, Şükran Koyuncu, Atiye Aydın, Bedii İçen and former co-mayor of Artuklu district Sevinç Bozan) to 6 years and 3 months; 3 people (former co-mayor of Kızıltepe district Leyla Salman, Orhan Ablak and Tarık Acay) to 7 years and 6 months; 6 people (Abdülaziz Bilgin, Gülten Yıldız, Mehmet Doğan, Adil Başaran, Ali Özkan and Abdullah Akikol) to 8 years and 1 person (Mehmet Tanhan) to 9 years.
The court acquitted 10 people and separated the cases against 19 people.
(06/332) Prison Massacre Case…
The case against 196 people who were on duty at Gendarmerie General Command during “Operation Back to Life”, which caused death of 12 people and injury of 29 in Bayrampaşa Prison, is held on Bakırköy Heavy Penal Court No 13 on June 24, 2020. The operation which killed 32 people in 20 prisons in total was conducted to enable conversion of the prisons to F Type prisons and to end hunger strikes in prisons on December 19, 2000.
The court adjourned the trial to November 12, 2020 in order to get the case file completed.
(06/333) Diyarbakır JITEM / Musa Anter Case…
The consolidated case on Musa Anter’s killing in Diyarbakır in 1992 and activities of JITEM (Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terror Unit) in Diyarbakır is held on June 24, 2020 at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 6. The case known as “JITEM Main Case” on Diyarbakır Penal Court No 1 and the case of Musa Anter’s killing has been consolidated by the Supreme Court’s decision on January 29, 2016.
A witness, Nuri Sınır is heard at the trial. The court adjourned the trial to October 20, 2020.
(06/334) Constitutional Court Decision on Sound and Vision System…
The Constitutional Court’s decision on individual appeal of Şehrivan Çoban who was rejected to attend her trial in person and was subjected to join via sound and vision information technology system, is declared on the official gazette on June 23, 2020.
The court ruled that right to attend a trial in person as a part of right to a fair trial of Şehrivan Çoban was violated and decided to send the conclusion to Van Heavy Penal Court No 2, the court in charge of the case against her.
(06/335) Trustee Appointed to Sarıcan Town…
On June 24, 2020, HDP co-mayor of Sarıcan town of Karakoçan district of Elazığ is suspended and Elazığ deputy governor Erkan Kaçmaz is appointed as a trustee.
Bekir Polat was detained on June 23, 2020.
(06/336) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that access to 46 web contents on several websites including https://egitimsen.org.tr, https://artigercek.com/, https://www.evrensel.net/, https://eksisozluk.com/internet is banned on verdict of Turgutlu Penal Court of Peace.
It is learned from the news coverage that a news report on https://sol.org.tr/ is banned to access on verdict of Samsun Penal Court of Peace No 3 on June 23, 2020.
It is learned from the news coverage that a news report on https://halktv.com.tr is banned to access on verdict of Erzurum Penal Court of Peace No 3 on June 24, 2020.
(06/337) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On June 24, 2020, 41 people including military members on active duty are detained in operations covering 23 cities through an Istanbul based investigation.
(06/338) Covid-19 Pandemic…
Ministry of Health declared that 24 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,492 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on June 24, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 5,025 and total number of confirmed cases is 191,657 as of June 24, 2020.
It is learned from data shared by Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine on June 24, 2020 that 155 health workers including 35 doctors, 74 nurses and delivery nurses, 3 paramedics, 23 health personnel, 5 automation personnel, 2 medical secretaries, 10 technicians, 1 laboratory assistant and 1 social service expert in Diyarbakır tested positive for Covid-19.
[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.