Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
10 – 12 January 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/042) Labor Killings…
According to the statement made by Worker Health and Worker Safety Council (ISIG), at least 135 workers lost their lives while working in December 2025. Accordingly, a total of 2105 workers, including 138 women, 91 refugees/migrants and 94 children, lost their lives in 2025.
(01/043) Asylum Seeker Died in Izmir…
On January 10, 2026, it is learned that 1 asylum seeker died and 7 migrants are missing due to sinking of a boat carrying asylum seekers off Bademli coast of Dikili district of Izmir.
(01/044) Prisoner Died in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 9, 2026 that, Sinan Üstev, a prisoner in Tekirdağ T Type Prison died in the single room where he was kept after a disciplinary penalty. The cause of death of the prisoner was not learned.
(01/045) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 12, 2026 that, Nubihar Özdemir, a prisoner in Ankara Sincan Women’s Prison was subjected to physical violence in the hospital where she was taken for treatment, because she objected to gendarmerie entering the examination room and was taken back to prison without being treated. It is reported in the news reports that Nubihar Özdemir went to the infirmary to get a medical report for her complaints when she went back to prison, and wardens entered the examination room while she was being examined.
(01/046) Trans Prisoner on Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of January 12, 2026 that Utku Devrim, a trans prisoner who was on hunger strike demanding an end to discriminatory practices against trans prisoners in Ankara Sincan Prison, ended his hunger strike.
(01/047) Police Intervention to Protests in Istanbul and Batman…
The police intervened the protest organized by Istanbul University students in Beyazıt Square in Fatih district of Istanbul on January 9, 2026 against the attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, Syria and detained 56 people including 2 children, using physical violence and handcuffing them behind their backs. 50 people were released on the same day after statement procedures at the police. 4 of 6 people who were referred to the criminal court of peace on January 10, 2026 are arrested, 2 people are released on judicial control conditions. The names of the arrested people are: Doğukan Mağol, Hamit Akay, Emir Sağlam, Yunus Emre Öksüz.
2 members of Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) who were detained on January 9, 2026 in Diyarbakır for hanging banners for the same reason, were released the same day after statement procedures at the police.
Erhan Akyılmaz, Co-Chair of Association for Assistance to Families who lost their Relatives in Ancient Lands (KATDER), who was detained for participating in the protest in Suruç district of Urfa for the same reason, was arrested by the criminal court of peace on January 11, 2026.
4 people (Selahattin İrekür, Diyar Yarma, Argeş Toparlı and Süleyman Avşar) were detained on January 11, 2025 for participating in the protests in Batman for the same cause.
(01/048) Arrested Mayor…
Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who was under arrest through another investigation, is arrested for the second time by the criminal court of peace on January 9, 2026 through a new investigation initiated by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on the allegation of ‘taking bribe’.
(01/049) Detained Journalist in Istanbul…
Journalist Fatih Ergin was detained on January 11, 2026 on the grounds of ‘publicly spreading misleading information’ and was released on judicial control conditions by the criminal court of peace on the same day.
(01/050) Bar Association Executives on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and 10 members of the board of directors, on the grounds of their social media posts about journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin who lost their lives in Northern and Eastern Syria, was held on January 5 – 9, 2026 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 26. The court acquitted the Bar Association executives on the charges of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ and ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’.
(01/051) Journalists and Another Person on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against journalists Dinçer Gökçe, Nilay Can and Veysi Dündar and lawyer İrem Çiçek on the grounds of a news article and their social media posts related to this news article was held on January 8, 2026 at Istanbul Bakırköy Criminal Court of First Instance No 2. The court acquitted 3 journalists and sentenced lawyer İrem Çiçek to 10 months on the charge of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(01/052) Journalists and Others on Trial in Istanbul
The case against 15 people including journalist Can Öztürk, who were detained in the police intervention against the protesters who protested the participation of Nurettin Yıldız, chair of Social Doku Foundation, in a conference at Boğaziçi University, is held at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No. 69 on January 12, 2026. It is learned that the court did not allow relatives of the defendants to enter the courtroom. The indictment demands sentence for 15 people on the charges of ‘violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No 2911’ and ‘resisting to prevent duty’. After defenses the court adjourned the trial to April 27, 2026.
(01/053) Investigation Against Municipality Administrator…
On January 8, 2026 it is learned from the news coverage of January 8, 2026 that Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against Murat Ongun, chair of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Medya A.Ş., who is kept in Tekirdağ Çorlu Prison and whose X social media accounts were banned to access on January 2, 2026, on the grounds of ‘publicly spreading misleading information’.
(01/054) Onur Yaser Can Case…
The retrial of the case against 2 police officers (S.B. and S.G.) on the charge of ‘corrupting, destroying or concealing an official document’ in the case on Onur Yaser Can’s death by suicide after being subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody in 2010, continued on January 9, 2026. The court adjourned the trial to February 27, 2026.
(01/055) Sertip Şen Case…
The final trial of the case against soldier M.T., about Sertip Şen (46) who was grazing his sheep in Onbaşılar village of Yüksekova district of Hakkari on May 2, 2019, and died due to fire opened from a military zone, is held at Yüksekova Heavy Penal Court No 1 on January 9, 2026. The court sentenced M.T. to 1 year and 8 months for ‘reckless killing’.
(01/056) Proceedings Against Members of Parliament…
On January 9, 2026, it is learned from news coverage of January 9, 2026 that 12 proceedings demanding lift of impunity of 11 parliamentary members of parliament are submitted to Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).
MPs against whom proceedings are prepared:
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman and Manisa MP Özgür Özel (2 proceedings)
CHP Group Deputy Chairman and Mersin MP Ali Mahir Basarir
CHP Malatya MP Veli Ağababa
CHP Adana MP Burhanettin Bulut
CHP Istanbul MP Özgür Karabat
CHP Bursa Deputy Nurhayat Altaca Kayışoğlu
CHP Tekirdağ Deputy İlham Özcan Aygun
CHP Izmir MP Sevda Erdan
CHP Izmir Deputy Ahmet Tuncay Özkan
CHP Ankara MP Umut Akdogan
IYI Party Antep Deputy Mehmet Mustafa Gürban
(01/057) Journalists Prevented from Following News…
It is learned that journalists were not allowed to watch the trial of the case against 15 people including journalist Can Öztürk, who were detained in the police intervention against the people protesting the participation of Social Doku Foundation chair Nurettin Yıldız in a conference at Boğaziçi University, at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No. 69 on January 12, 2025.
(01/058) Access Ban on Social Media Accounts…
On January 9, 2026, it is learned from news coverage of January 9, 2026 that 2 social media accounts of Eğitim Sen Mersin and Ordu branches are banned to access on the grounds of national security and protection of public order.
It is learned that 3 news reports on https://www.nefes.com.tr/ , https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/, https://kisadalga.net/ websites about the statement made by CHP MPs on former Minister of Health, are banned to access on the grounds of national security and protection of public order, by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 11 on January 9, 2026.
On January 10, 2026, it is learned from the news coverage of January 10, 2026 that access to 1 X social media accounts of Jinnews news agency is banned on the grounds of protection of national security and public order within the scope of Article 8/A of Law No 5651, and the accounts are made invisible from Turkey. A total of 3 social media accounts of Jinnews were also banned to access on January 8, 2026.
It is learned that CHP Group Deputy Chair Murat Emir’s social media post about an investigation against Ekol TV, 5 news reports on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/, https://www.egepostasi.com/ , https://www.ekoltv.com.tr/, https://www.sokgazetesi.com.tr/ , https://www.gazetepencere.com/ , and 2 social media posts on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/, https://www.egepostasi.com/, https://www.ekoltv.com.tr/ , https://www.sokgazetesi.com.tr/ , https://www.gazetepencere.com/ , are banned to access on the grounds of protection of national security and public order by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 10 on January 11, 2026 and it is ruled to delete the content.
It is learned that 1 news report on https://mezopotamyaajansi43.com/ website about Seyitan Durdu’s death due to military fire in Van, is banned to access on the grounds of national security and protection of public order by Van Penal Court of Peace No 1 on January 9, 2026.
(01/059) Television Channels Penalized by RTÜK…
On January 12, 2025 it is learned from news coverage of January 12, 2025 that Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued administrative fines to Kanal D channel for the TV series “Roses and Sins”; NOW TV channel for the TV series ‘Kıskanmak’; Star TV channel for the program “Nur Viral ile Sen İstersen’”.
(01/060) Detained People Through an Ankara Based Investigation…
On January 12, 2026, 12 people were detained in operations conducted in 3 provinces through an Ankara based investigation on the grounds of being a member of a secret police organization and using ByLock.
[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.
[2]To subscribe to the e-mail group: please write ‘daily human rights reports subscription application’ to the title of your e-mail and sent it to dokumantasyon@tihv.org.tr.
[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.