Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
12 December 2018 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/154) Person Shot in Istanbul for ‘Disobeying Stop Warning’…
Abdullah Arat (25), died due to fire opened by the police on the grounds of disobeying stop warning at a check point in Ergani district of Diyarbakır on December 11, 2018.
(12/155) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 11, 2018 that 10 prisoners in Tokat T Type Prison were subjected to physical violence of the wardens and then were put into solitary cells. It is also reported that the prisoners were not provided medical reports evidencing the physical violence. It is also stated that 1 prisoner were transferred to another prison under coercion.
(12/156) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on December 11, 2018 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers in order to visit their client was rejected the same day on the grounds of limitations for prisoners in accordance with the law on the execution of sentences and security measures (law no 5275). With the last rejection, it was the 771st time that appeals for visiting Öcalan have been rejected so far. Abdullah Öcalan has met his lawyers on July 27, 2011 for the last time.
(12/157) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 763 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on December 11, 2018 at 13.30 and 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on December 12, 2018, 2 people (Cemal Yıldırım and Mehmet Adıgüzel) and at 18.00 2 people (Abidin Sırma and Bülent Özgül) were detained.
Thus in total 4 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on December 11, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(12/158) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…
Türkan Albayrak, who was dismissed from her job at Sarıyer district Health Department, on the grounds of ‘personnel security investigation’ and ‘archive search’, on August 3, 2018; made a press declaration to regain her job on December 11, 2018 and attempted for a sit-in protest in front of Health Department. The police intervened into the sit-in and detained Türkan Albayrak. It is learned that Türkan Albayrak was released the same day. It is the 58th time of detention of Türkan Albayrak.
(12/159) Detention of Members and Executives of HDP and Activists of TJA for Supporting HDP MP Leyla Güven’s Hunger Strike…
29 activists of Free Women’s Movement (TJA), who were detained on December 10, 2018 in the police raid to People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP) Batman office where people have started a hunger strike to support HDP Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Leyla Güven, who went on a hunger strike to protest isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan; are released on December 11, 2018 after procedures at the police.
It is learned that the police seized the computers at the office in which personal information of presumptive nominees standing for local elections was kept.
(12/160) Arrested Person in Sivas for Social Media Posts…
It is learned that 1 person who was detained in Sivas, on the grounds of ‘insulting the police in social media posts’ is arrested by the court on December 11, 2018.
(12/161) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
The separate cases against 3 academicians (Professor Naz Çavuşoğlu, Professor Gençay Gürsoy and Research Assistant Can Soylu from Istanbul University) for signing the petition “We will not be a party to this crime!” on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37 for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ are held on December 11, 2018. The court sentenced Naz Çavuşoğlu and Can Soylu to 1 year and 3 months each for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict. The court sentenced Gençay Gürsoy to 2 years and 3 months for the same reason. Gençay Gürsoy was not present at the trial due to health reasons. It is learned that the court board added Twitter posts of Gençay Gürsoy and an interview with him published on t24.com.tr web portal to the case file as evidence, and rejected the lawyers demanding additional time to review the newly added documents, on the grounds that the demand was ‘aiming to prolong the judging’. The court stated the following: “Considering the form and property of the offence; that the defendant has made declarations with Turkish Medial Association of which he was president back then; that the interview with him published on January 15, 2016 on t24.com.tr web site and his declarations and tweets supporting and defending the petition on his personal social media account all of which are documented in the case file; the position of the defendant at the time of offence charged here; the extent of the public influence of the petition which was accepted by Turkish Medical Association as well; the will and intention of the defendant to accept and defend the petition after it was published and the intensity of his proper act which was seen through this; and that the extent of the danger created, the court decides to sentence the defendant to 1 year and 15 months which will not be reduced considering his negative attitude and behaviour in the hearing and the conviction that he does not feel any remorse”.
The case against Professor Ayşe Gül Altınay from Sabancı University for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25 is held on December 11, 2018. The court decided to send the case to the prosecutor for legal opinion and adjourned the trial to March 26, 2019.
The case against Assist. Professor Aylin Ünaldı from Boğaziçi University for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 24 is held on December 11, 2018. The court decided to consolidate the case with other academician cases and adjourned the trial to April 25, 2019.
The case against Assoc. Professor Sezai Ozan Zeybek from Bilgi University for the same reason on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 26 is held on December 11, 2018. The court decided to send the case to the prosecutor for legal opinion and adjourned the trial to February 28, 2019.
(12/162) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against journalist Ece Sevim Öztürk, for the news reports she made on July 15 – coup attempt, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37 is held on December 11, 2018. After defence hearings the court sentenced Ece Sevim Öztürk to 3 year 1 month and 15 days for ‘knowingly aiding an illegal organisation’ and released Ece Sevim Öztürk upon the verdict.
Ece Sevim Öztürk was detained on June 8, 2018, after she shared her documentary “The Darkest Day of Naval Forces: July 15”; and she was arrested on July 20, 2018 on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation member’.
(12/163) Journalist on Trial in Van…
The final trial of the case against journalist Adnan Bilen on Van Heavy Penal Court No 2 is held on December 11, 2018. The court sentenced Adnan Bilen to 1 year and 10 months for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(12/164) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The case against Jinnews web site news editor Safiye Alağaş on Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 4 is held on December 11, 2018. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to February 2019.
(12/165) Lawyers from ÖHD and Executives of TUHAD-FED on Trial in Istanbul…
The case against 37 executives and members of Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) and of Federation of Prisoners Families Law and Solidarity Associations (TUHAD-FED) which were closed down by a state of emergency decree, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 is held on December 11, 2018. The court adjourned the trial to May 23, 2019.
(12/166) Police Raid to a Cultural Center in Ankara…
İdilcan Cultural Center in Ankara is raided by the police on December 11, 2018, through an investigation against participators of “I Want My Job Back” in Yüksel Street, Ankara. It is learned that nobody was present at the center during the raid and that the police seized some books and magazines at the center.
(12/167) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On December 11, 2018 9 people are detained in Izmir on the grounds of using ByLock.
(12/168) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against 29 former employees dismissed by state of emergency decrees including academicians, of Izmir Katip Çelebi University, 15 of which are also arrested, is held on Izmir Heavy Penal Court No 13 on December 11, 2018. The court sentenced 18 people to penalty of imprisonment of a time from 6 years 8 months to 13 years for ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court decided to release 5 people and to arrest 2 people upon verdict. The court acquitted 10 people and separated the case of 1 person.
[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, YeniYaşam, NTV, Yeni Asya, Bianet, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, T724, 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.