3 July 2015 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/017) Worker Death…
Worker’s Health and Job Safety Assembly announced on 3 July 2015 that at least 147 workers died in June 2015 during work accidents due to untaken security measures. At least 794 workers died in first 6 months of 2015.
(07/018) Nihat Kazanhan Case…
Cizre (Şırnak) Heavy Penal Court No 1 continued on 2 July 2015 to hear the case launched in connection with the killing of Nihat Kazanhan (12) by the police on 14 January 2014 in Cizre district of Şırnak.
The police officers who testified at hearing as eyewitnesses stressed that they did not see the remanded police officer M.N.G. shooting Nihat Kazanhan. But the friends of Nihat Kazanhan testified to the effect that remanded police officer M.N.G threatened them to death.
The court rejected the demand for the arrest of the defendants U.İ., H.V., O.Ç. and G.T., and adjourned the hearing to 2 October 2015.
The indictment wants the defendants U.İ., H.V., and M.N.G. to be sentenced for “intentional killing”, the defendants O.Ç. and G.T for “not reporting a crime”.
(07/019) Lütfullah Tacik Case…
According to the news appeared in the press on 2 July 2015, a court case was launched against the police officers Serdar Oran and Hasan Özgür Özdemir in connection with the killing of Afghani refugee Lütfullah Tacik (17) under beatings on 31 May 2015 in Van.
Van Heavy Penal Court No 2 will start to hear the case on 19 November 2015. The indictment wants the police officer Serdar Oran to be sentenced for “simple wounding and causing death by intentional wounding” and the police officer Hasan Özgür Özdemir for “misconduct of duty”.
Lütfullah Tacik (17) who was detained by the soldiers on 16 May 2014 while trying to pass the border illegally in Iğdır and transferred to the Repatriation Centre of the Foreigner’s Department in Van on 26 May 2014 to be deported was beaten by a police officer for lying about his age.
Lütfullah Tacik had cerebral haemorrhage when the police officer Serdar Oran working at Illegal Migration and HumanTrafficking Department of Foreigner’s Department beat him. He was hospitalised, but died on 31 May 2014.
(07/020) Verdict Quashed in Torture Trial…
Öztürk Aladağ (28) was beaten by the police in a side street nearby Tarlabaşı Avenue in Beyoğlu during the police intervention against the 1 May celebrations in İstanbul on 1 May 2009. The video recording of the incident shot by an amateur was revealed after a while and appeared in the media.
Öztürk Aladağ made an official complaint against the security forces relying on the video recording and medical report given to her. And Public Prosecutor in İstanbul combined on 13 May 2010 the complaint with another one by Naciye Kaplan who was dragged on the ground by the police before being detained and launched a court case against 5 police officers on 30 June 2010 at the Bakırköy (İstanbul) Heavy Penal Court no 12. But the Public Prosecutor did not indict Anti-Riot Police Branch Director Gökhan Özsavaş who was the chief of the police officers.
Öztürk Aladağ’s lawyer Meral Hanbayat objected and the court revoked the decision. Gökhan Özsavaş testified during the investigation to the effect that he was not in Beyoğlu and he could be the one who ordered excessive use of force. But the ruled that the chief also committed the crime of torture by allowing torture on the grounds that he did not interfere the police officers despite the possibility of torturing.
İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No 18 concluded on 24 December 2013 to hear the case against police officers and chief police officer Gökhan Özsavaş and acquitted the defendants for lack of evidence for torture.
According to the news appeared in the press on 2 July 2015, 8th Penal Chamber at the Court of Cassation concluded to deal with the appeal case and quashed the verdict by majority of votes for “inadequate inspection”.
The Penal Chamber ruled that the court should have examined recent photographs of the defendants to compare with the video recording of the incident to identify the perpetrators. The Chamber also decided that the court should have asked the Security Directorate for the footages of the victims recorded in detention centre to be examined before the examination of evidences.
(07/021) Prisoner Died…
Rear Admiral Cem Aziz Çakmak who was convicted in Sledgehammer Case and incarcerated in Silivri (İstanbul) L-type Prison was temporarily on 1 February 2014 for upon a medical report given by Forensic Institute. Cem Aziz Çakmak died on 3 July 2015. He was suffering from lung cancer and was under treatment in İstanbul at Yedikule Chest Diseases Hospital since his release.
(07/022) Pressures in Prisons…
According to news appeared in the press on 2 July 2015 based on a letter sent by Cafer Koç from Silivri (İstanbul) F-type Prison No 9, the prisoners were beaten before search and subjected to torture in isolation cells.
The guards and soldiers wanted to search the cells on 24 June 2015. When the prisoners objected the search, they were handcuffed from behind and taken to isolation cells. The prisoners were beaten there for minutes.
(07/023) Condition of Prisoners…
According to the news appeared on the press on 2 July 2015, Cengiz Sinan Halis Çelik incarcerated in Metris (İstanbul) R-type Prison for being convicted in a PKK case was transferred back to Silivri (İstanbul) F-type Prison No 9 recently without his demand. He was under treatment for suffering from epilepsies and bladder cancer.
(07/024) Condition of Prisoners…
According to the news appeared in the press on 2 July 2015, Hasan Çetin incarcerated in Alanya (Antalya) L-type Prison was not given a medical report by the Forensic Institute certifying his helath condition. He has a medical report certifying that he is 73% disabled for having mental illness, but he was not released from prison on the grounds that the Forensic Institute did not provide a medical report on his condition.
(07/025) Hunger Strike Intervened…
The police conducted an operation against the members of People’s Front (Halk Cephesi) on 3 July 2015 in Küçükçekmece district of İstanbul. The activists were on hunger strike in a public park with the demand of securing justice in Hasan Ferit Gedik case. One person was detained during the intervention.
Hasan Ferit Gedik was killed on on 30 September 2013 during the armed attack by drug dealers against the members of People’s Front in Gülsuyu quarter of Maltepe district in İstanbul.
(07/026) 1 May Demonstrators on Trial…
Çağlayan (İstanbul) Heavy Penal Court No 4 started on 2 July 2015 to hear the case against Revolutionary High School Students (DEV-LİS) member Semih Kundakçı who was detained and arrested in accordance with the new Security Law. The case was launched for taking part in 1 May demonstrations in İstanbul.
After the identification and testimony of the defendant and screening of the video recordings of the incident, the court decided to release the defendant to be tried without remand and adjourned the hearing to 10 November 2015.
(07/027) Detentions and Arrests…
A.T. (17), Azad Yıkar (23) ve Kenan Turgay (28) who were detained during house raids in Bismil district of Diyarbakır were arrested on 2 July 2015 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
(07/028) House Raids in Diyarbakır…
Yunus Ekmen who was one of the 2 persons detained during house raids in Diyarbakır was arrested on 2 July 2015 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
(07/029) House Raids in Batman…
Yusuf Yalçın who was among 5 persons detained during house raids on 1 July 2015 in Batman on the allegations of “taking part in unlawful demonstrations on various dates” was arrested on 2 July 2015 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
(07/030) House Raids in Gaziantep…
The police conducted house raids on 2 July 2015 in Gaziantep and detained 5 persons. The reason of the operations was not disclosed.
(07/031) House Raids in Şırnak…
The police conducted house raids on 2 July 2015 in İdil district of Şırnak and detained 5 persons. The reason of the operations was not disclosed.
(07/032) House Raids in Adana…
The police conducted house raids on 2 July 2015 in Adana and detained 10 persons on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
(07/033) Detentions and Arrests…
Özgür Halk Dergisi (Free People Magazine) workers Hasan Kurt and Mahmut Sağır were detained on 2 July 2015 in Batman when they were distributing the magazine