Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
13 – 14 January 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/061) Human Rights Defender Died in Attack…
Lawyer Ali Aydın, former co-chair of Human Rights Association (IHD) Izmir branch, died due to an attack to which he was subjected while he was on a march in Çiğli district of Izmir on January 14, 2026. It is learned that 1 person is detained in connection with the attack.
(01/062) Police Intervention to Protest inDiyarbakır…
The police and private security units intervened the march about the attacks to Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo, Syria on January 13, 2026, at Dicle University campus in Diyarbakır. It is learned that no one was detained during the intervention.
(01/063) Detained People in Antalya…
On January 14, 2026, 14 people are detained through an investigation against Antalya Metropolitan Municipality for causing public damage.
(11/064) Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and Other People on Trial in Ankara…
The trial of the case against 12 people including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, on the allegations of irregularities in CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress where Özgür Özel was elected as the chairman, continued on January 13, 2026 at Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance No 26. The indictment demands 12 people to be sentenced for ‘violating the election law’. The court adjourned the trial to February 23, 2026.
(01/065) Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor on Trial…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu due to his statement about the President was held on January 13, 2026 at Istanbul Civil Court of First Instance No 23. The court ruled Ekrem İmamoğlu to pay 150.000 TL non-pecuniary damages.
(01/066) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalists Barış Pehlivan, Kürşad Oğuz, Suat Toktaş, Seda Selek and Serhan Asker, on the grounds of sharing the phone calls of the expert mentioned in the press statement made by IBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, continued on January 13, 2026 at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 54. The indictment demands sentence for journalists on the charge of ‘interception and recording of conversations between individuals’. The court decided to lift the ban on journalists abroad and adjourned the hearing to February 13, 2026.
Barış Pehlivan, Kürşad Oğuz, Seda Selek, Suat Toktaş and Serhan Asker were detained on January 29, 2025. 4 of the journalists were released on judicial control conditions on the same day and Suat Toktaş was arrested on January 30, 2025.
(01/067) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Zafer Arapkirli on the grounds of a social media post started on November 25, 2025 at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 60. The indictment demands sentence for Zafer Arapkirli on the charge of ‘insulting the President’. The court adjourned the trial to March 3, 2026.
(01/068) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul
The trial of the lawsuit filed against Cumhuriyet Newspaper News Director Can Uğur due to his news report titled “Was the fate of 1 million students played with? LGS questions were allegedly shared in a WhatsApp group before the end of the exam”, the trial of the case started on January 13, 2026 at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2. The indictment demands sentence for the journalist on the charge of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’. The court adjourned the hearing to September 17, 2026.
(01/09) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist İsmail Arı, upon the complaint of the founder of Nişantaşı Education Foundation, continued on January 13, 2026 at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2. The indictment demands sentence for the journalist on the charges of ‘slander’ and ‘insult’. The court adjourned the trial to September 22, 2026.
(01/070) People on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against 139 people for participating in the protests against the arrest of IBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu started on June 20, 2025 at Istanbul 49th Criminal Court of First Instance. The indictment demands sentence for 139 people on the charge of ‘violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’. The court adjourned the trial to March 30, 2026.
(01/071) Seyithan Durdu Case…
On September 25, 2025, the trial of the case against Y.A., commander of 2nd Border Battalion 3rd Border Company Tulgalı Border Station, about Seyithan Duru’s death due to gunfire opened by soldiers in Avzêrk rural neighbourhood of Saray district of Van on December 28, 2024, continued at Van Heavy Penal Court No 1. The indictment demands sentence for the defendant soldier on the charge of ‘manslaughter with probable intent’. The court adjourned the trial to April 8, 2026.
Y.A. was arrested on December 31, 2024 and released on January 7, 2025 upon appeal.
(01/072) Discriminatory and Phobic Documentary…
On January 14, 2026, it is learned from the news coverage of January 14, 2026 that a program titled “Rainbow Fascism” targeting LGBTI+’s was prepared to be broadcast on TRT’s digital platform Tabii, and that the program was promoted by TRT General Director with a social media post saying “We are exposing an ideological siege that wages war on the institution of family, targeting our children and our values”.
(01/073) Blocked Social Media Account…
It is learned fom the news covarage of January 13, 2026 that X social media account of Murat Ongun, former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Medya A.Ş., who was arrested through the investigation against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was banned to access on the grounds of national security and protection of public order within the scope of Article 8/A of Law No. 5651. Murat Ongun’s X social media account had been banned from access before.
[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.