Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
10 May 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/086) Labor Killings…
Workers’ Health and Worker Safety Council (ISIG) announced on May 10, 2024, that at least 163 workers, including 6 women, 5 children, and 7 migrants/refugees, lost their lives while working in April 2024.
(05/087) Refugee Child Who Lost Their Life in Izmir…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 10, 2024, that the body of a child who fell into the sea from a boat carrying migrants off the coast of the Karaburun district of Izmir on April 25, 2024, was found on May 8, 2024.
(05/088) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 10, 2024, that according to the findings of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Administration and Monitoring Boards in prisons force prisoners to express ‘remorse’ and at least 384 prisoners’ release was postponed by the decision of Administration and Monitoring Boards between 2021 and 2023.
It is learned from the news coverage of May 10, 2024, that some prisoners in Diyarbakır High-Security Prison No 2 were transferred to other prisons against their will. The names of prisoners who were transferred are Abdullah Zorarslan, Barış Engin, İbrahim Zengin, Hüseyin Karahan, Birdal Dere, Murat Yalçın, Hacı Aykıl.
The total number of prisoners transferred and to which prisons they were transferred to could not be learned.
(05/089) Prevention of Right to Access Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 9, 2024, that Mehmet Emin Çam (72, m), an ill prisoner in Batman T Type Prison was prevented from treatment because he refused to be searched inside his mouth during hospital transfers, and that the physician on duty at the prison infirmary examined Mehmet Emin Çam standing at the door of the infirmary.
It is learned from the news coverage of May 10, 2024, that prisoners in Adana Kürkçüler T Type Prison No 1 and Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison have not been able to access medical treatment due to the practice of mouth searches in Adana Kürkçüler T Type Prison No 1 and Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison for 3 years; prisoner Mazhar Güler has not been referred to hospital for more than 1 year due to this practice; and the prosecutor’s office decided ‘no prosecution’ for the criminal complaint made by prisoners Kemal Özelmalı and Mazhar Güler to Adana Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2022.
(05/090) Meeting Requests with Abdullah Öcalan not Responded to…
It is learned that the appeal made on May 9, 2024, to the chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by lawyers in order to visit their clients PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in İmralı Prison was not responded.
It is learned that the appeal made on May 10, 2024, to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s family and tutelary along with the families and tutelary of Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in İmralı Prison was not responded.
(05/091) Child on Trial Due to Social Media Posts in Diyarbakır…
The first trial of the case against Y. S., a child in Diyarbakır, for his social media posts, started on May 7, 2024, at Diyarbakır Juvenile Court No 2. The court sentenced Y. S. to 7 months and 23 days for ‘insulting the President’.
(05/092) Former Co-Mayor on Trial in Mardin…
The final trial of the case against Sara Kaya, former co-mayor of Mardin Nusaybin Municipality, was held at Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4 on May 9, 2024. The court sentenced Sara Kaya to 10 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and released Sara Kaya on judicial control condition.
Sara Kaya was detained on January 13, 2017, and arrested by the court on January 26, 2017. A trustee was appointed to Nusaybin Municipality by the Ministry of Interior on September 11, 2016.
(05/093) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Haluk Kalafat and Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) courthouse reporter Elif Akgül for their news reports on the Armenian Genocide continued on May 9, 2024, at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2. The indictment demands a sentence for the journalists on the charge of ‘publicly degrading the Turkish nation’ under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The court adjourned the hearing to July 2, 2024.
(05/094) Journalist on Trial in Izmir…
The retrial of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Delal Akyüz on the charge of ‘knowingly and willingly aiding an illegal organization’ continued on May 9, 2024, at Izmir Heavy Penal Court No 20. The court adjourned the trial to November 5, 2024.
(05/095) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
On May 9, 2024, the trial of the moral damages lawsuit filed by the Rector of Istanbul Maltepe University against journalist Hayri Demir and Gazette Pencere, the publisher of the news article “The director of AKP’s ‘propaganda group’ turned out to be the rector”, continued at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 8. The court decided to dismiss the lawsuit.
(05/096) Journalists on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against 20 journalists continued on May 9, 2024, at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 4. The indictment demands a sentence for journalists on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court rejected the request for lifting the judicial control measures against the journalists, ruled to return the confiscated digital materials and news equipment of the journalists, and adjourned the trial to November 19, 2024.
On June 8, 2022, 22 people, including press worker Feynaz Koçuk and street interviewer İhsan Ergülen, were detained. On June 16, 2022, 16 journalists (Mezopotamya News Agency editor Aziz Oruç, Jinnews News Director Safiye Alağaş, Dicle Fırat Journalists Association Co-Chair Serdar Altan, Xwebûn newspaper Managing Editor Mehmet Ali Ertaş and journalists Ömer Çelik, Neşe Toprak, Mehmet Şahin, Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Elif Üngör, Remziye Temel, Suat Doğuhan, Lezgin Akdeniz, İbrahim Koyuncu, Abdurrahman Öncü, Ramazan Geciken and Mazlum Güler) were arrested by the court. Detained journalists Gülşen Koçuk, Kadir Bayram, Mehmet Yalçın, Esmer Tunç, press worker Feynaz Koçuk and a street interviewee (İhsan Ergülen) were released on judicial control conditions. On March 21, 2023, the court decided to separate the case against Jinnews News Director Safiye Alağaş, journalist Gülşen Koçuk and 2 other people (Feynaz Koçuk and İhsan Ergülen).
15 journalists (Dicle Fırat Journalists Association Co-Chair Serdar Altan, Xwebûn newspaper Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ali Ertaş, Aziz Oruç, Ömer Çelik, Neşe Toprak, Mehmet Şahin, Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Elif Üngör, Remziye Temel, Suat Doğuhan, Lezgin Akdeniz, İbrahim Koyuncu, Abdurrahman Öncü, Ramazan Geciken, and Mazlum Güler) were released at the first hearing of the case against them on 11 July 2023.
Within the scope of the same investigation, the indictments against Ari Production owner Berivan Karatorak and cameraman Servet Yiğen for ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ were joined with the case file of 18 journalists.
(05/097) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the case against İhsan Yaşar, İshak Yasul, Mehmet Ali Çelebi, Mizgin Fendik, Pınar Tarlak, Reyhan Hacıoğlu and Hicran Urun, employees of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper, which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, was held on May 9, 2024. The court sentenced Mehmet Ali Çelebi to 3 years and 9 months and Reyhan Hacıoğlu, İhsan Yaşar, İshak Yasul and Hicran Urun to 3 years 1 month and 15 days for ‘aiding an illegal organization’. The court also acquitted Mizgin Fendik, separated the case against Pınar Tarlak and lifted the judicial control measures against the journalists.
(05/098) Journalist on Trial in Mardin…
The retrial of the case against journalist Zehra Doğan on charges of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ based on her news reports and social media posts between 2015 and 2016 started on May 9, 2024, at Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 2, following the reversal of the sentence of 2 years 9 months and 22 days imposed by Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 2 on March 2, 2017 and upheld by Criminal Chamber No 3 of Gaziantep Regional Court of Appeals on May 9, 2017. The court acquitted Zehra Doğan.
Zehra Doğan was arrested on June 17, 2017, during a road check on the grounds that she had a “finalized sentence” and was released from Mersin Tarsus Women’s Prison on February 24, 2019 after completing her execution period.
(05/099) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against journalist Furkan Karabay, on the grounds of ‘chain insulting a public officer due to his duty’ through his social media posts about the Chair of Istanbul Justice Commission, started on May 9, 2024, at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 51. The court acquitted the journalist.
The court acquitted the journalist on the basis of a simple trial, but upon the objection of the lawyers of the Chair of the Istanbul Justice Commission, the case was reopened for a hearing.
(05/100) Journalist on Trial in Bitlis…
On May 26, 2023, the 2nd Criminal Chamber of the Van Regional Court of Appeals upheld the 10-month prison sentence given to journalist Sinan Aygül, President of the Bitlis Journalists’ Association, in the case filed at the Tatvan Penal Court of First Instance on charges of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’ based on a news article he had published.
Sinan Aygül, who was arrested on December 14, 2022, after sharing the news on social media, was released on December 22, 2022, upon the objection of his lawyers.
(05/101) Former Party Executive and MPs on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) former Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ and former MPs Çağlar Demirel, İdris Baluken, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Saadet Becerikli, Mehmet Ali Aslan, Ahmet Yıldırım and Altan Tan, regarding their visit to Silvan during the curfews in 2015, continued on May 9, 2024, at Diyarbakır Silvan Penal Court of First Instance. The indictment demands a sentence for 8 people on the charges of ‘resisting against duty’, ‘insulting a public officer on duty’, and ‘insulting the President’. The court adjourned the trial to September 19, 2024.
(05/102) Police Officer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against police officer M. A. S., on the harassment of migrant woman O. H. who applied to Migration Administration in Diyarbakır in July 2023, continued on May 8, 2024, at Diyarbakır Penal Court of First Instance No 4. The court adjourned the hearing to September 24, 2024.
(05/103) Police Officer on Trial in Istanbul…
On May 9, 2024, the final trial of the case against police officer A. D., on the death of Zuhal Ebrar Yıldız (18, k), who was crossing the road when she was shot by the police in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on December 12, 2022, was held at Istanbul Bakırköy Penal Court of First Instance No 45. The court sentenced police officer A. D. to 5 years on the charge of ‘causing death with conscious negligence’.
(05/104) Investigation Against the Hozat Municipality in Tunceli…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 9, 2024, that the district governorate initiated an investigation against Hozat Municipality after the police intervened in the ‘Dersim 38 Wall’, which was built by Hozat Municipality in 2012 with photographs and writings of Dersim Genocide between 1937 and 1938.
(05/105) Banned Events and Demonstrations…
The Governorate of Van announced on May 10, 2024, that demonstrations, outdoor and indoor meetings, press statements, sit-ins and surveys, setting up/opening tents and stands, organizing petitions, distributing leaflets, brochures and flyers, and all other forms of protest activities are banned for 6 days between May 10, 2024, and May 15, 2024.
(05/106) Attack on a Political Party Building in Urfa…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 9, 2024, that the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) district office in the Birecik district of Urfa was attacked by an anonymous person or persons and material damage occurred in the office as a result of the attack.
(05/107) Special Security Zone in Şırnak…
The Governorate of Şırnak announced on May 9, 2024, that Gabar Mountain Region in the Central District and Güçlükonak District of Şırnak Province and Cudi Mountain Region in Central District, Silopi and Cizre Districts of Şırnak Province were declared as temporary security zones for 15 days between May 10, 2024, and May 24, 2024.
(05/108) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 9, 2024, that 2 news reports and 4 social media posts on https://halktv.com.tr and https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr related to allegations against former Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP are banned from access by Bilecik Criminal Peace Judgeship on May 9, 2024.
(05/109) People Detained and Arrested in Relation with the Coup Attempt…
On May 9, 2024, 7 people were detained in house raids in Izmir and Ankara through an investigation conducted by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
[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.