Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
22 May 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/210) Prisoner Who Lost His Life…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 22, 2024, that Ergün Akdoğan, a prisoner in Tekirdağ F Type Prison No 1 lost his life in hospital on May 20, 2024.
(05/211) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
On May 18, 2024, it is learned that Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Young Women Coordination member Senem Eriş, who was arrested on the charges of ‘resisting to prevent duty’ and ‘violating Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No 2911’ after being detained and subjected to torture and ill-treatment during the police intervention against the group gathering for İbrahim Kaypakkaya commemoration in front of Süreyya Opera in Kadıköy district of Istanbul, was strip-searched at the entrance of Bakırköy Women’s Prison. It is also reported in the news that 4 people including Senem Eriş, who were detained and arrested in the same intervention, were put in the ward for judicial prisoners and the correction officers on duty at the prison asked Senem Eriş ‘Are you Muslim?
It is learned from the news coverage of May 22, 2024, that the appeal made to Bursa Heavy Penal Court No 1 on May 10, 2024 against the decision of the prison administration and observation board to postpone the release of Veysi Aktaş, who was kept in İmralı F Type High-Security Prison and completed the execution of his life sentence of 30 years on April 28, 2024, for 1 year, was rejected and lawyers will appeal to the Constitutional Court.
(05/212) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Urfa…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 22, 2024, that the brother of Mizgin Çiftçi, who was detained in Urfa on May 22, 2024, was subjected to physical violence by police officers during a house raid.
(05/213) City Councillor Threatened…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 21, 2024, that Hatay Antakya Municipality Council member Süleyman Çaltak, who went to the construction site in Gazi Neighborhood of Hatay’s Antakya district to meet with the Hatay Governor about Gazi Neighborhood, which was declared a reserved area, was told by Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı: “I was going to dismiss you during that election process. Look at me, I will dismiss both of you. We have been working here for 14 months. We will build the houses in a year… Look at me, tomorrow I will send 500 police officers there, I will demolish everything. I won’t let you into the neighborhood. What will you do then? Look at me, your mayors should come, your party should come.”
(05/214) Former Co-Mayor Arrested…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 21, 2024, that former co-mayor of Mardin Derik Municipality and Mardin Kızıltepe district co-chair of DEM Party, Abdulkerim Erdem, was arrested on May 21, 2024, and was sent to Diyarbakır High Security Prison No 2. Abdulkerim Erdem was sentenced to 7 years and 11 months on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ by Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4.
Abdulkerim Erdem was arrested on February 26, 2016 and was released on June 17, 2019.
(05/215) Party Members Detained in Urfa…
On May 22, 2024, 5 DEM Party members were detained in house raids in Urfa on the allegations of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. The names of the detainees are Abdullah Sarısu, Veysel Say, Mizgin Çifçi, Azad Koç, and Abdulsemih Güç.
(05/216) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
On May 8, 2024, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25 accepted the indictment against journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan and Erdoğan Alayumat, who were arrested on April 26, 2024, based on 126 news reports. On May 21, 2024, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25 released 3 journalists on judicial control conditions. The indictment demands a sentence for the journalists on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization”.
(05/217) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the case against journalist Akif Beki, upon the complaint of Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, popularly known as ‘Cübbeli Ahmet’, for his news article titled ‘Cübbeli’s insult to Diyanet’ published on July 22, 2022, was held on May 21, 2024, at Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of First Instance No 26. The court acquitted the journalist on the charge of ‘insult’.
(05/218) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
On May 21, 2024, the trial of the case against journalist Emre Orman, who was detained and subjected to torture and ill-treatment while covering the Sivas Massacre Commemoration in the Sancaktepe district of Istanbul on July 2, 2022, on the charge of ‘resisting to prevent duty’ continued at Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of First Instance No 20. The prosecutor declared his final opinion on the case and demanded a sentence for the journalist. The court adjourned the hearing to October 17, 2024.
(05/219) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The retrial of the case against journalist Mehmet Ali Ertaş, who was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ through his social media posts, started on May 22, 2024 at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 9. The court adjourned the hearing to October 10, 2024.
(05/220) Lawyer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The first trial of the case against lawyer Necat Çiçek, executive board member of Lawyers’ Association for Freedom (ÖHD) Diyarbakır branch, started on May 21, 2024, at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5. The indictment demands a sentence for the lawyer on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court decided to continue judicial control conditions on Necat Çiçek and adjourned the trial to October 3, 2024.
(05/221) Lawyer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against lawyer Süleyman Şahin continued on May 21, 2024, at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5. The indictment demands a sentence for the lawyer on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court adjourned the trial to October 1, 2024.
(05/222) The Suruç Massacre Case…
The trial of the case against lawyer Süleyman Şahin continued on May 21, 2024, at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5. The indictment demands a sentence for the lawyer on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court adjourned the trial to October 1, 2024.
(05/223) The Constitutional Court Decisions on the Ankara Train Station Massacre…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 21, 2024, that the Constitutional Court announced its justified decision on May 16, 2024, on 9 individual applications on the responsibility of public officials for the deaths of 103 people due to a suicide bomb attack of ISIS to the Peace Rally in Ankara on October 10, 2015, and ruled the applications inadmissible on the grounds that ‘it is not clear whether the delay in medical service or the police officers spraying gas in the area were responsible for the deaths of those who lost their lives’.
(05/224) Police Raid on a Press Office…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 21, 2024, that sendika.org’s office in Istanbul was raided by the police while no one was there, bookshelves and cabinets in the office were scattered and some photographs in the office were seized. The reason for the raid is not known.
(05/225) Books Subjected to a Restriction Decision…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 22, 2024, that the Board for the Protection of Minors from Obscene Publications of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services has decided that 3 books titled “Disney Esrarengiz Kasaba Günlük 3” published by Beta Kids Publishing, “Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different” published by Eksik Parça Publishing and “Naughty House’s New Guests” published by Yakamoz Publishing should be subject to the restrictions in Article 4 of Law No. 1117 on the grounds that “they have a harmful effect on the morals of minors under the age of 18”. According to these restrictions, the books in question will be required to be stamped or marked “Harmful to minors” on the front covers, cannot be sold in open exhibitions, cannot be advertised or announced in any media, and cannot be brought to schools and similar places.
(05/226) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 21, 2024, that a total of 3 content on https://artigercek.com, https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr and https://www.aa.com.tr/tr, in which the former police chief’s name is mentioned, is banned to access by Ankara Criminal Peace Judgeship No 7 on May 21, 2024, on the grounds of violation of personal rights, and that the content is ordered to be deleted.
It is learned from the news coverage of May 21, 2024, that a total of 3 content related to Ensar Foundation founder on https://artigercek.com, https://halktv.com.tr, and https://www.birgun.net were banned from access by Ankara Criminal Peace Judgeship No 7 on May 21, 2024, on the grounds of violation of personal rights, and that the content was ordered to be deleted.
It is learned from the news coverage of May 22, 2024, that Yeni Yaşam newspaper’s news reports titled ‘Counter-guerrilla’s prostitution dormitories’ and ‘What is happening in girls’ dormitories in Ankara?’, published on https://yeniyasamgazetesi5.com, were banned from access by Ankara Criminal Peace Judgeship No 7.
[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.