Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
08 April 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/055) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned that 5 people died due to an explosion on road in rural areas of Güleç neighbourhood of Kulp district of Diyarbakır on April 8, 2020. Diyarbakır Governorate declared that the attack was organized by HPG and 5 people were civilian people who were on their way to forest. Names of 5 people is not officially announced yet.
(04/056) Prisoner Died from Covid-19…
It is learned from the news coverage of April 7, 2020 that, Mehmet Yeter, an ill prisoner in Bafra Prison was taken to Samsun 19 Mayıs University Hospital on March 16, 2020, and was discharged from hospital on March 26, 2020, after his left leg being amputated. It is reported that Mehmet Yeter was then sent to Samsun T Type Prison where he again got deteriorated and was hospitalized, and he died in hospital. It is claimed in the news reports that Mehmet Yeter died from Covid-19 and was buried without informing his family.
The news reports cover an official letter from the Prosecutor’s Office to Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Directorate of Cemeteries which states the following: “Prisoner Mehmet Yeter died from Covid-19. His family cannot be reached. Since it could pose a risk for public health and increases the risk of spread of the illness to keep the body of a person died from an epidemic illness in shared areas such as mortuary, it is requested that the burial process should carried on with necessary precautions as soon as this instruction is received”.
Mehmet Yeter’s son Ferhat Yeter, who was informed of his father’s death by another prisoner’s call states the following: “He was taken to prison after his leg was amputated. His condition gets worse after being in contact with other people and he dies when he was referred to a hospital. Despite of the letter sent by the Prosecutor’s Office, hospital authorities said that my father tested negative [for Covid-19] for three times”.
(04/057) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
On April 4, 2020, a riot took place in Batman M Type Prison and some prisoners were then transferred to Diyarbakır T Type Prison No 4. Med Federation of Legal and Solidarity Associations of Prisoners’ Families (MED TUHAD-FED) and Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) met these transferred prisoners and stated that they were subjected to physical and verbal violence during transfer. According to the news reports lawyers state that some prisoners have scars on their faces and that during intervention and prison transfers, the wardens on duty did not take all precautions for Covid-19.
It is learned from the news coverage of April 7, 2020 that, in Silivri Prison 29 people are kept in a ward for 7 people; and prisoners are not given cleaning supplies and disinfectants despite of Covid-19 pandemic.
(04/058) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declarations of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 1246 days to regain their jobs, in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on April 7, 2020 at 13.30 and at 18.00, and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.
(04/059) Detained Community House Chair in Bartın…
Bartın Community House chair Yonca Alemdar, who was giving away home-made face masks in the marketplace, is detained by the police intervening her for giving away masks without permission, on April 7, 2020. It is learned that tailor Hulusi Kaymakçı who sew the masks were also detained. 2 people were released after statement procedures.
(04/060) Criminal Complaint Against a Journalist…
On April 7, 2020, President and Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) made a criminal complaint against journalist Fatih Portakal, on the grounds of “manipulative expressions” and “intentional expressions on banking and finance system that are contrary to facts” in his social media post.
(04/061) Covid-19 Pandemic…
Turkish Medical Association made a declaration on April 8, 2020 and stated that the pattern between numbers of Covid-19 cases and death toll is different from what is observed in other countries; and that the reason behind this is the fact that Turkish Ministry of Health does not use international codes proposed by World Health Organization (WHO) for death reporting.
Izmir Medical Chamber declared on April 7, 2020 that 111 health workers including 69 physicians, 27 nurses and delivery nurses, 10 cleaning personnel and 3 public officer, are diagnosed with Covid-19 in Izmir.
Diyarbakır Medical Chamber declared on April 7, 2020 that a total of 200 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Diyarbakır as of April 6, 2020.
Ministry of Health declared that 76 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 3,892 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on April 7, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 725 and total number of confirmed cases is 34,109 as of April 7, 2020.
[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.