Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
25- 27 April 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/182) Police Intervention During a March in Ankara…
On April 27, 2026—the eighth day of the hunger strike and sit-in they were conducting at Kurtuluş Park in Ankara—police intervened in a march that Doruk Mining workers intended to hold to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, using physical force and tear gas. It was reported that during the intervention, Gökay Çakır, General President of the Independent Mining Workers’ Union (Bağımsız Maden-İş), and the union’s organizing specialist, Başaran Aksu, were detained.
(04/183) Bans and Interventions Related to May 1…
On April 27, 2026, in Kazancı Hill in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district, police refused to allow a memorial organized by the May 1 Taksim Initiative for those who lost their lives on May 1 in 1977, 1989, and 1996, and surrounded the gathered crowd. The police also intervened in the sit-in that followed, detaining at least 46 people using physical force. It was reported that the Taksim Metro Station was closed during the intervention and reopened afterward.
(04/184) Political Party Members Detained in Izmir…
It was learned that 16 people, including a member of SOL Genç, were detained during a raid on homes and dormitories in Izmir on May 27, 2026. Names of those detained: Deniz Topçu, Halil Arbey, Efe Başaran, Mehmet Şakir Göle, Alpaslan Musa Burhan, Ali Yasin Cengiz, Cihangir Yılmaz, Yağmur Selçuk, İlayda Nur Karahan, Arda Özeren, Hilal Gürcan, Yakup Bulut, Mehmet Kasım Karayuş, Enes Sağlam, Deniz Şentürk, Ece Sülek.
(04/185) Individuals Detained in Istanbul…
Following a police raid on the İdil Cultural Center in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı on April 20, 2026, a total of 13 individuals—who were detained on April 21, 2026, in Istanbul and Hatay and referred to the magistrate’s court on April 24, 2026—were arrested, with 7 of them (Busenur Öztürk, Gamze Eroğlu, Can Kaba, Cem Dursun, Rezzan Şengül, Taceddin Erol Şahin, and Gülten Matur) were detained, while 6 others—including 1 (Mehmet Güvel) under house arrest—were released under judicial supervision.
(04/186) Journalist on Trial in Şırnak
The trial of 19 individuals, including journalist Nedim Oruç—who was detained and arrested while covering news in the Cizre district of Şırnak—began on April 24, 2026, at the Şırnak Heavy Penal Court No. 1. The indictment seeks to punish the 19 individuals for the crimes of “possessing dangerous materials without authorization,” “fully or partially covering their faces to conceal their identities during meetings and demonstrations,” “making organization propaganda,” and “resisting to prevent the performance of duty.” The court ordered the release of the 19 individuals and adjourned the hearing until June 25, 2026.
The 19 individuals, including Nedim Oruç, had been arrested on January 14, 2026.
(04/187) Journalist and Others on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of 15 individuals—including journalist Can Öztürk—who were detained during a police intervention against protesters opposing the participation of Nurettin Yıldız, President of the Social Fabric Foundation, in a conference held at Boğaziçi University, continued on April 27, 2026, at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No. 69. The indictment seeks to punish the 15 individuals for the crimes of “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911” and “resisting the performance of duty.” Following the defenses, the court adjourned the hearing until July 3, 2026.
(04/188) The Trial of a Journalist in Istanbul…
The final hearing in the case filed at the Istanbul Civil Court of First Instance No. 33 against journalist Hazal Ocak—on the grounds of a complaint by former Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak regarding her article titled “The Son-in-Law Knows His Business”—was held on April 24, 2026. The court ruled that the journalist must pay 10,000 TL in moral damages.
(04/189) The Trial of a Journalist in Ankara…
It was reported that the preliminary hearing for the case filed against Nefes newspaper reporter Mahir Bağış in the Ankara West Criminal Court of First Instance No. 15 took place on April 24, 2026 on the grounds of his article titled “He Had a 19-Million-Lira Project Done Without Paying a Single Lira.” The indictment seeks to punish the journalist for the crimes of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility,” “publicly disseminating misleading information,” and “insult.” Following the defenses, the court adjourned the hearing to a later date.
(04/190) The Trial of the Environmental Activist…
The trial of environmental activist Esra Işık, initiated at the Muğla Milas Criminal Court of First Instance No. 3 on the grounds of protests against the expropriation of agricultural lands surrounding the Akbelen Forest, began on April 27, 2026. The indictment seeks to punish Esra Işık for the crime of “resisting the performance of duty.” The court ruled to continue Esra Işık’s detention and adjourned the hearing to June 1, 2026.
Esra Işık had been arrested on March 31, 2026.
(04/191) Trial of Union Members in Ankara…
The final hearing in the case filed against 15 members of the Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions (KESK) at the Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 6 was held on April 27, 2026. While the court acquitted the 15 individuals of the charge of “being a member of an organization,” it decided to adjourn prosecution regarding the charge of “making organization propaganda.”
(04/192) Individuals on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No. 71 regarding 125 individuals—including 3 lawyers—who were detained following a police intervention during a protest held in front of a shopping center in Istanbul’s Şişli district against the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu continued on April 27, 2026. The court adjourned the hearing until October 26, 2026.
(04/193) Banned Kurdish Film…
In 2024, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism ruled that the Kurdish film titled “Rosbash” was “unsuitable for commercial distribution and screening.” Following an appeal, the Ankara Administration Court No. 3 ruled in 2026 that this decision was contrary to the law. According to news reports on April 25, 2026, the Ankara Regional Administrative Court’s Administrative Division No. 10, which reviewed the Ministry’s appeal against the Ankara Administrative Court’s decision, accepted the Ministry’s appeal and also ruled to reject the director’s claims for compensation.
(04/194) Musician Under Investigation…
According to news reports on April 24, 2026, it was learned that the Muğla Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into musician Hande Yener on the grounds of “insulting the President,” citing remarks she made and slogans shouted during a concert she held in Muğla, and that Hande Yener gave a statement to the prosecutor’s office as part of the investigation.
[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.