Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
12 April 2022 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/133) Suspicious Death in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of April 12, 2022 that, 6 prisoners in Istanbul Silivri L Type Prison No 5 have committed suicide after being subjected to torture and ill-treatment and 2 of them (Ferhan Yılmaz and 1 person with unknown name) died, 1 prisoner (Halil Kasan) is admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital.
It is also stated in the news reports that Ferhan Yılmaz’s body was transferred without noticing his family.
A voice recording of Halil Kasan, the prisoner under intensive care treatment, which is stated to be recorded during a phone call with his family is covered in the press, and goes as following: “On April 6, at around 7 p. m. the correction officers came to the ward and slapped a prisoner. There was nothing but they came and slapped him, insulted him. I had an attack because of my illness, because of my psychological problems. And they took me to the yard and insulted me, beat me. Then they came back to the ward and took us away, saying that they were going to search the ward and conduct roll-calls. (…) They beat us again, insulted us, and plucked our beards. Then they put us into the ‘soft room’ [padded cell]. They stepped on our heads with boots (…) When the correction officers put me into the open door area, they said ‘Do you have a rope? Kill yourself, hung yourself’ (…) There are many more people like me, they will kill themselves because of this treatment. They put us in the dirt, no bread, no bed, nothing. But tones of torture. I hung myself yesterday, and they were saying, ‘Go on and show us how you hang yourself’. As they were taking us to the doctor’s office, they said ‘If you take a report evidencing the violence, there will be another session of this beating, there will be a therapy’. They do not let us take reports, so we have to say that we are okay because we are afraid.”
The Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul branch shared an information note on 2 suspicious deaths in prison, and stated the following: “As of April 6, the public was informed about prisoners who were beaten during a roll-call in Silivri Prison No 5, and that they were subjected to torture and forced to kill themselves, the minutes of the incidents were contrary to the facts, and they were forced to hide the truth about violence when they were medically examined, and 8 of them were taken to Silivri Public Hospital; the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses made a statement on April 9 and denied the incident. However, it was learned that torture and ill-treatment still continued, the prisoners were prevented from meeting with their lawyers, and one of the prisoners, Ferhan Yılmaz, and another prisoner whose name could not be learned, lost their lives yesterday, and that Ferhan Yılmaz’s body was taken by his family.”
(04/134) Asylum Seekers Died in Bitlis…
It is learned that 4 asylum seekers died in the car crash in Adilcevaz district of Bitlis on April 11, 2022; and 25 people including the driver are injured.
(04/135) Attack on Journalist in Aydın…
Journalist Ergün Poyraz is attacked by anonymous persons in front of his house in Kuşadası district of Aydın on April 11, 2022. It is learned that Ergün Poyraz was heavily injured that risks his life and is under treatment at the intensive care unit of Söke Public Hospital.
(04/136) Person Subjected to Torture and Ill-Treatment in Bingöl…
It is learned that a person named Mahfuz Taş (18) was subjected to torture and ill-treatment of the police, for he was making a victory sign while taking a picture in Solhan district of Bingöl on April 9, 2022. It is stated in the news reports that Mahfuz Taş was subjected to torture and ill-treatment at the District Security Directorate too. It is reported that Mahfuz Taş got a medical report evidencing the violence which injured him at the face and filed a criminal complaint against the police officers.
Mahfuz Taş stated the following to the press: “As I was making a victory sign while taking a picture, a police car came near to us, and asked ‘Are you making this sign to us?’, and they said making a victory sign was an offence. They asked ‘Why are not you making the nationalist sign, what victory you won so that you are making its sign?’. There was no problem actually but they made a criminal record check, and body search (…) The police held my arm and asked ‘Where are you going?’, then he punched the back of my head. He pulled his gun towards my waist, I fell down as he pushed me, and the gun fell down too. 4 officers attacked me when I was on the ground. Then they took me in the car. I asked that officer whose gun fell down why they were beating me, and he said ‘I did not beat you but I am now’ and punched me in the eye. An officer handcuffed me. I told him that I had an eye operation and they asked me which eye it was. When I said it was the left eye, they punched this eye several times. They took me to Solhan District Security Directorate and kept me under custody for one night. (…) They drew the curtains and closed the doors, saying to me, ‘If you shout, we will beat you more’. They beat me to death there. They hit my heart and stomach multiple times. While being beaten, I was out of breath. There, an officer said to me, ‘die, bastard’. They stopped when they were out of breath. (…) ‘If you do not talk well about us, we will open a terrorism case against you. We blacken your record. You can’t be an officer or something’, they threatened. And they said ‘Nothing will happen to us, we are the police’ to intimidate me.”
(04/137) Person Injured by Being Hit by a Police Car…
On April 10, 2022, lawyer Serkan Karakaş has got injured due to being hit by a police car in Şırnak, and the police officer S. E. who was driving the car was detained. The detained officer is arrested by the court on the charge of ‘attempt to intentional killing’ on April 12, 2022.
(04/138) Gendarmerie Intervention to a Protest in Trabzon…
The gendarmerie intervened the protest against the hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) project under construction in the Araklı district of Trabzon on April 11, 2022. It was learned that nobody was detained.
(04/139) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of Yasin Keskin, who demands to be reinstated to his job at Çankaya Municipality, in outside of municipality building on April 11, 2022 and forced him away from the building by using physical violence.
(04/140) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of Şişli Municipality workers in front of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) on April 11, 2022 and forced people away from the building by using physical violence.
(04/141) Detained HDP Executives in Şırnak…
On April 11, 2022, 10 people including the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Cizre district co-chair and executives are detained in house raids in Cizre district of Şırnak.
Detained people are: Esmer Çıkmaz, HDP Cizre district co-chair Mesut Nart, Maruf Eliş, Osman Küçük, Zeliha Yardak, Şerif Elçioğlu, Ahmet Benzer, Hacı Dalmış, Ahmet Beğenir, Burhan Dalmış.
(04/142) Detained People Through Ankara Based Investigation…
It is learned that detention warrants were issued for 91 people through an Ankara based investigation under the name of “Kobanê Investigation” on April 12, 2022; and that 46 people are detained including former co-mayors and HDP executives in operations covering 13 cities.
Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office made the following statement: “It has been decided that 91 suspects will be taken into custody as of April 12 on the charges of violating the law no. 6415 on the prevention of financing of terrorism and being a member of an armed terrorist organization in 13 cities”.
The names of detained people learned so far are: Akdeniz district former co-mayor Fazıl Türk, former municipality employees Hasan Çat, Selami Turan and Ülfiye Özcan; Diyarbakır Metropolitan municipality former employee and lawyer Metin Kılavuz, HDP’s former accountant Zeki Çelik, HDP Adana provincial executive Mustafa Bilgiç, Şefik Özbey and Necmettin Aslan.
(04/143) Detained Person in Batman…
Yahya Karabaş, who was detained in Kozluk district of Batman on March 31, 2022 and was subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody before he was released by the court, was detained once again on the grounds of new evidence on April 10, 2022. Yahya Karabaş is released by the court on judicial control conditions on April 11, 2022.
(04/144) Investigation Against Lawyers in Istanbul…
It is learned from the news coverage of April 11, 2022 that, the investigation launched by Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office against 9 lawyers (Ali Babür Atila, Alp Selek, Bülent Utku, İlke Çandırbay, Kemal Aytaç, Mehmet Güvenç, Necdet Okcan, Sevin Şeker, Yavuz Okçuoğlu) for they have read the Turkish Medical Associations’ declaration “War is a public health problem” during their justice watch in front of Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul on February 1, 2018, is ended in non-prosecution.
(04/145) Police Raid to Party Office in Şırnak…
It is learned that the police raided Cizre district office of HDP on April 11, 2022; and broke doors and windows of the office, seized computers and other digital material and damaged some of the furniture.
(04/146) Removed Banners in Bursa…
It is learned from the news coverage of April 11, 2022 that the banners in Kestel district of Bursa which was hung to call the public to the meeting about price raises, were removed by the municipality police.
(04/147) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
7 of 20 people who were detained through an Istanbul based investigation are arrested by the court on April 11, 2022, while 13 of them are released on judicial control conditions.
(04/148) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 28 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and the daily number of Covid-19 cases is 6,893 as of April 11, 2022.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 98,437 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 14,965,867 as of April 11, 2022.
[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.