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29 February – 2 March 2020 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

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

29 February – 2 March 2020 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/001) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…

It is learned from the news coverage of February 29, 2020 that, 4 HPG militants died in an air operation of Turkish Armed Forces to Hakurk area of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on November 20, 2019.

(03/002) Military Operation to North and South Syria…

It is learned that 1 soldier died and 1 soldiers got wounded in an attack of Syrian Army to Turkish Armed Forces personnel in İdlib city of Syria on February 28, 2020.

(03/003) Person was Attacked in Mardin…

It is learned from the news coverage of March 1, 2020 that, a person named Halil Meşe was subjected to armed assault in Nusaybin district of Mardin, for which responsibility is claimed by Martyr Adil Gite Vengeance Unit. It is reported that Halil Meşe was heavily wounded.

(03/004) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of February 28, 2020 that, outdoor hours of prisoners in Silivri L Type Prison No 5 are limited, letters sent to prisoners are given with delay and books in foreign languages are not given to prisoners.

It is learned from the news coverage of February 28, 2020 that, special operations police join ward searches in Bursa H Type Prison and personal belongings of prisoners are scattered around; and some of them such as books, letters, notebooks and radios are seized. It is also stated in the news reports that 4 prisoners were given 20 days of solitary cell penalty.

It is learned from the news coverage of February 29, 2020 that prisoners who reject to stand in military order during roll-calls in Tokat T Type Prison were subjected to physical violence.

(03/005) Prevention of Right to Health in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of February 28, 2020 that, prisoners in Bakırköy Women’s Prison were not referred to hospitals for a month and they were not taken to infirmary either.

(03/006) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…

It is learned that the appeal made on February 28, 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 59th time, on the grounds of limitations for prisoners in accordance with the Law on the Execution of Criminal and Security Measures Number 5275. Abdullah Öcalan met his family on January 12, 2019 for the first time after September 11, 2016 and meeting requests have been rejected for 93 times to this date.

(03/007) 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 1209 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on February 28, 2020 at 13.00, and detained 5 people (Nazan Bozkurt, Merve Demirel and 3 more people). Detained people are released on the same day.

The police intervened the sit-in protests after press declarations at 13.00 on February 29, and March 1, 2020 and forced participants away from the monument.

(03/008) 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 28, 2020 and detained 8 people (Grup Yorum member Meral Hır, BEKSAV co-chairs Canan Kaplan and Ahmet Uçar, People’s Democratic Congress Istanbul co-spokesperson Yoldaş Aydın, Socialist Party of the Oppressed Istanbul provincial executive Çınar Altan, Aygül Bilgi, Ahmet Gökçek and 1 more person). Detained people are released by the court on judicial control conditions on February 29, 2020. Mustafa Koçak is on death fast for 244 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.

(03/009) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…

The police intervened the press declaration for Mustafa Koçak, Helin Bölek and İbrahim Gökçek, at Khalkedon Square in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on February 29, 2020 and detained 2 people (Zeynep Koçak and Hasan Koçak). Detained 2 people are released by the court on judicial control conditions on March 1, 2020.

(03/010) 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 779th time on February 29, 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.

(03/011) Prevention of Human Rights Defenders’ Event in Istanbul…

“F sit-in”, which is organized for the 414th time by Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch Prison Watch Committee, to demand release of ill prisoners, on February 29, 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.

(03/012) Detained HDP Executive in Mardin…

On February 29, 2020, 5 people including People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Mardin co-chair Perihan Ağaoğlu and former co-chair Musa Alkan, are detained in house raids in Mardin. It is learned that the reason of detention is events, protests and political activities they participated in between 2014 and 2015.

(03/013) Detained Community Houses Members in Izmir…

On February 29, 2020, 2 members of Community Houses are detained on the grounds of hanging a banner saying “What are we doing in Syria? No to war” in Izmir.

(03/015) Detained Journalists in Edirne…

Mezopotamya News Agency reporters İdris Sayılğan and Naci Kaya; Rudaw TV channel reporter Ravin Sterk Yıldız and cameraman Mehmet Şirin Akgün were detained on February 29, 2020, in Edirne on the grounds of ‘video recording in forbidden areas’. On March 2, 2020, İdris Sayılğan is arrested by the court on the charge of ‘violating judicial control conditions’, 3 journalists are released.

(03/016) Arrested Journalist in Istanbul…

Alptekin Dursunoğlu, editor in chief of Yakın Doğu News, was detained on February 29, 2020 and is arrested by the court on the grounds of his social media posts on March 1, 2020.

(03/017) Assault Attempt to Journalists’ Houses in Ankara and Detained Journalists…

It is learned that houses of 3 journalists (1 editor and 2 reporters) from Sputnik News Agency Ankara office were subjected to attempts of assault by anonymous people on February 29, 2020. It is reported that assaulter groups waited for a while in front of journalists’ houses, insulting and threatening them.

3 journalists are detained at the police station where they went to apply after the assaults. It is learned that the reason of detention is an investigation on a news report on English web page of Sputnik News Agency. It is reported that Sputnik Turkey editor Mahir Boztepe was also detained in Istanbul through the same investigation and Istanbul office of the agency was searched by the police.

4 journalists were released on March 1, 2020.

(03/018) Detained People in Antep for Social Media Posts…

On February 29, 2020, 4 people are detained in house raids in Antep, for their social media posts about the attack against Turkish Armed Forces personnel in Idlib where 33 soldiers died.

(03/019) Özgür Gündem Case…

The final trial of the case against director Veysi Algan and Hüseyin Süzügen on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 22 for participating in “Editors in Chief on Watch” campaign to support Özgür Gündem newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, is held on February 28, 2020. The court sentenced Veysi Altay to 1 year and 3 months for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict for 2 years. The court sentenced Veysi Altay to 10 months for ‘publishing an illegal organisation’s declaration’ and converted it to 6,000 Turkish Liras. The court separated the case against Hüseyin Süzügen.

(03/020) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…

The first trial of the case against journalist Mehmet Erol, on the grounds of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation on social media’ is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 10 on February 28, 2020. After defence hearings the court acquitted Mehmet Erol.

(03/021) The Case Against People Evacuated from Nusaybin…

The case against 70 people who were detained and then arrested on May 26, 2016, after being evacuated from the buildings they were stuck in during the curfew on Nusaybin district, is held on February 28, 2020 on Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4. The court has decided to separate the case for each defendant and to start proceedings all over again with new case files on April 5, 2019. The court sentenced 1 person (İbrahim Toktaş) to 15 years on the charge of ‘attempt to killing’ and adjourned the trial of the case against Nubahar Özdemir. With the last verdicts, 40 people in total are sentenced through this case.

(01/022) The Case Against People Evacuated from Sur…

The trial of the case against 40 people including 19 arrestees who were evacuated from the buildings they were stuck in during the curfew in Sur district of Diyarbakır during February and March, 2016; is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5 on February 28, 2020.

The court has decided to separate the cases for each person on January 10, 2020.

The court sentenced 1 person (Mehmet Salih Ateş) to life imprisonment on the charge of ‘disrupting integrity and unity of the state’ and to 10 years and 10 months on the charge of ‘attempting to kill a public officer’. The court decided to continue detention of Mehmet Salih Ateş.

(03/023) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

On February 28, 2020, 44 people are detained in operations covering 3 cities through an Ankara based investigation to Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel; and 57 people are detained in Ankara.

(03/024) Investigation of Social Media Accounts…

It is learned from the news coverage of February 28, 2020 that General Directorate of Security Department of Anti-Cyber Crimes initiated investigation on 91 social media users, for posts about the attack against Turkish Armed Forces personnel in Idlib where 33 soldiers died.

(03/025) Ban of Events in Antep…

Antep Governorate announced on February 29, 2020 that, after the attack against Turkish Armed Forces personnel in Idlib where 33 soldiers died, all open events such as demonstrations, press declarations, meetings, sit-ins, opening stands and tents, festivals, concerts, delivering leaflets and so on are banned as of February 29, 2020. There is no time limit announced for the ban.

[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.