Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
13 March 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(03/077) Prisoner Died in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of March 12, 2025 that Hasan Heybetli (75), a prisoner in Izmir F Type Prison No 2 was found dead in his ward. The cause of Hasan Heybetli’s death is not known.
(03/078) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of March 12, 2025 that, 2 prisoners (Bekir Efe Cesur and Ahmet Bilal Bay) in Istanbul Marmara (Silivri) Campus Prison were transferred to other prisons against their will. It is not known to which prison 2 prisoners were transferred.
It is learned from news coverage of March 12, 2025 that 6 prisoners in Rize Kalkandere L Type Prison were transferred to other prisons under coercion. The prisoners and the prisons they were transferred to: Şiyar Kayadağ (Kırşehir F Type Prison), Umut Savaş Koçyiğit (Ankara Sincan F Type Prison No 1), Erdem Aktı (Ankara Sincan F Type Prison No 2), Giyasettin Aydın (Samsun Çarşamba S Type Prison), Mehmet Aydın Söğüt (Samsun Kavak Prison), Necdet Tarlak (Kırşehir S Type Prison).
(03/079) Prisoners whose Release was Postponed by the Prison Administration and Observation Board…
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2025 that, the release of Suat Berlik, a prisoner in Urfa T Type Prison, who completed 7 years and 6 months of imprisonment on November 22, 2023, was postponed for 7 months on March 4, 2025, by a decision of Prison Administration and Monitoring Board (CİGK). Suat Berlik’s release was postponed once for 6 months and once for 10 months.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2025 that, the release of Yılmaz Çerçel, a prisoner in Eskişehir H Type Prison, who completed the execution of his life sentence on January 10, 2025, was postponed for 3 months on January 9, 2025 by a decision of CIGK.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2025 that, Mecit Alagöz’s release from Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison was postponed for 6 months and Ahmet Doğan’s release was postponed for 3 months by a decision of CIGC.
(03/080) No Answer to the Application for Meeting with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on March 13, 2025 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa in order to visit PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in İmralı Prison was not responded.
(03/081) Trans Women Subjected to Physical Violence of the Police in Istanbul…
It is learned from news coverage of March 13, 2025 that 8 trans women were subjected to physical violence of the police on Tarlabaşı Street in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. It is learned that trans women were also fined under the Law on Misdemeanors.
(03/082) Arrested Writer in Istanbul…
Hasan Polat, author and editor of Ceylan Publishing, who was detained on March 10, 2025 at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the grounds of a warrant issued through the investigation against Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), was arrested by the criminal court of peace on March 13, 2025. The reason for the arrest could not be learned.
(03/083) Director on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against director Kazım Öz for the film Zer is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 24 on March 13, 2025. The indictment demands sentence for Kazım Öz on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. The court adjourned the trial to April 10, 2025.
(03/084) Investigation Against Journalist in Istanbul…
On March 13, 2025, it is learned from news coverage of March 13, 2025 that Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against Evren Demirdaş, reporter of Sözcü newspaper, for a news report he made, and that he was summoned to Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate to give official statement through the investigation.
(03/085) People on Trial for the Killing of a Refugee Mine Worker in Zonguldak…
On March 12, 2025, the trial of the case against 6 people related to the death of Vezir Mohammad Nourtani, a worker from Afghanistan, who was working in an illegal mine in Zonguldak despite the closure of the mine by the gendarmerie on November 5, 2023 and was left to die by the mine owners, relatives and 2 employees after he was seriously injured in a work accident on November 9, 2023 and then his body was cremated, continued at Zonguldak Heavy Penal Court No 1. The court rejected the request of Nourtani family’s lawyer for recusal and adjourned the hearing to April 11, 2025.
(03/086) Discriminatory and Phobic Statements…
Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group Deputy Chairman Bahadır Yenişehirlioğlu made the following discriminatory and phobic statements in his speech at the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on March 11, 2025: “It is obvious how vital it is to fight the biggest struggle in the Year of the Family against the LGBT organization that attacks the institution of the family by desexualizing human beings. This organization is nothing but a weapon of mass destruction designed to make people forget the purpose of creation and to eliminate the values that sustain society.”
Tülin Oygür, President of the Republican Women’s Association, made the following discriminatory and phobic statements in her speech at the meeting of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey’s Commission to Investigate Violence Against Women on March 11, 2025: “The Istanbul Convention is the Trojan horse of LGBT. The abolition of the Istanbul Convention was good for the country.”
On March 13, 2025, the President made the following discriminatory and phobic statements in his speech at the group meeting of his party AKP “Our opposition (…) is sponsoring the LGBT perversion through the municipalities they manage and the partisan trade unions (…) By taking cover behind a false concept of freedom, they are planting a time bomb in our national structure. We will take decisive steps to strengthen the institution of the family against the invasion, seduction and invasion of our national structure by perverted movements.”
(03/087) Detained People in Izmir…
On March 13, 20256, 8 people were detained in house raids in Izmir on the grounds of being ByLock users, working at an institution closed down by the Decree Law, participating in protests and having Bank Asya accounts.
[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.