Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
4 -6 April 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/022) Police Intervention and Prevention to Events in Istanbul…
On April 5, 2025, the police intervened the picnic organized for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday in Küçükçekmece district of Istanbul and detained 4 people including former MP Sebahat Tuncel, using physical violence. It is learned that at least 1 person was wounded due to intervention. Detained people were released on the same day.
On April 5, 2025, it is learned that the police prevented the event to be held in a park in Sultangazi district of Istanbul and the event was held at DEM Party Sultangazi district office.
(04/023) Detained Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and Other People
Out of 57 people who were detained on March 31, 2026 within the scope of an investigation against Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, 30 people including Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and former Nilüfer Mayor Turgay Erdem, who were arrested through another investigation, were detained by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace on April 4, 2026 on charges of ‘bribery’, ‘establishing a criminal organization’, ‘laundering assets arising from crime’. 27 people, 26 of them on judicial control conditions, are released.
(04/024) Detained Retirees Assembly Members…
11 of 16 members of Retired Assembly who were detained in Istanbul and Aydın on March 31, 2026, are arrested by the criminal court of peace on April 3, 2026 on the charge of ‘being an illegal organization member’. 5 people were released on judicial control conditions. The names of the arrested people are: Nurettin Kılıç, Tülin Karakullukçu, Önal Akkaya, Hasan Kaşkır, Lerzan Caner, İsmet Ağırman, Ömer Sarsılmaz, Ahmet Kulaksız, Hüseyin Kaşkır, Emine Kaşkır, Bedirhan Çetinaya.
(04/025) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul
The trial of the case against journalist Evrim Deniz for the news report titled “gang defendant building a police station” continued on April 6, 2026 at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2. The indictment demands sentence for the journalist on the charge of ‘unlawfully giving or obtaining personal data’. The court adjourned the trial to June 23, 2026.
(04/026) Human Rights Defenders on Trial in Izmir
The trial of the case against 22 people including Günseli Kaya, founding board member of Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT), on the grounds of the slogans shouted during the protests against the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, continued on April 6, February 2026 at Izmir Criminal Court of First Instance No 49. The indictment demands sentence for 22 people on the charge of ‘insulting the President’. The court accepted the objections of the lawyers to the expert report and ruled to send the file to Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) and adjourned the trial to September 14, 2026.
(04/027) Filmmaker on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against filmmaker Rojhilat Aksoy at Diyarbakır Penal Court of First Instance No 22 on April 6, 2026, for his animated film “The Birth of Aurora” about the 1915 Armenian Genocide, which was screened in Diyarbakır in 2024. The court acquitted Rojhilat Aksoy on the charge of “publicly degrading the Turkish nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the judicial organs of the state” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).
(04/028) Investigation on the grounds of Social Media Posts Against a Person…
It is learned that Gülben Ergen, who was investigated by Istanbul Bakırköy Public Prosecutor’s Office on the grounds of ‘publicly spreading misleading information’ upon the complaint of Ministry of Family and Social Services, for her social media post about Fatmanur Çelik and her daughter Hifa İkra Şengüler’s death, went to Istanbul Bakırköy Courthouse on April 6, 2026 and gave her official statement.
(04/029) Suspended Mayor…
On April 4, 2026, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey was arrested and suspended by the Ministry of Interior on the same day.
(04/030) Discriminatory and Phobic Practice…
It is learned that Middle East Technical University (METU) Rectorate demanded that the word “queer” be removed from the text of the exhibition “This is What Loud Looks Like” by Girls To The Front, which took place in the Art Days organized as part of the 70th anniversary of the university’s foundation, and that rainbow flags could not be included in the photographs. Upon this discriminatory and phobic intervention by the Rectorate, Girls to the Front reportedly withdrew from the event.
(04/031) Blocked Internet Contents…
It is learned from the news coverage of April 3, 2026 that, X social media account of Kurdish news portal Nûpel Kurdî 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.
It is learned from news coverage of April 3, 2026 that, journalist Sema Bingöl’s social media account X is banned to access on the grounds of national security and protection of public order, through Article 8/A of Law No 5651.
It is learned from the news coverage of April 4, 2026 that, Mezopotamya Agency’s Kurdish social media account Instagram is banned to access on the grounds of protection of national security and public order, through Article 8/A of Law No 5651.
It is learned from the news coverage of April 6, 2026 that X social media account of journalist Roza Arpa is banned to access on the grounds of protection of national security and public order, in accordance with Article 8/A of Law No 5651.
(04/032) Detained People Through a Konya Based Investigation…
On April 6, 2026, 19 people were detained through operations conducted in 13 cities through a Konya based investigation on the allegations of being active in the military elite structure of the organization.
[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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[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.