Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
12 September 2017 Daily Human Rights Report
(09/071) Police Raid in People’s Law Office…
It is learned that on September 12, 2017 through an Istanbul based investigation police conducted a raid in People’s Law Office and detained 10 attorneys including attorneys of Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça. Özakça and Gülmen’s trial is on September 14. It is reported that Justice School in Ankara, both the Ankara and İstanbul offices of the firm and houses of the some of the attorneys were raided
Names of detained attorneys are: Barkın Timtik, Ebru Timtik, Şükriye Erden, Aytaç Ünsal, Engin Gökoğlu, Ezgi Çakır, Süleyman Gökten, Didem Baydar Ünsal, Ahmet Mandacı, Yağmur Ereren.
(09/072) Torture and Other Ill-Treatmen Allegations in Yahya Quarter of Karayazı…
Ahmet Göksu, who was detained on September 8, 2017 during a police raid in Yahya Quarter of Erzurum’s Karayazı district and was allegedly tortured since his detention, is learned to have met with his family on September 11, 2017 at the Yenişehir Police Station where he is kept. It is reported that Göksu has bruises in his body and has a black eye. Göksu revealed the tortue and stated: ‘‘My left ear doesn’t hear. I was hit at home for 3-4 hours. They tied my eyes and my arms from my back and hit me with a iron stick and a rifle end.’’
(09/073) Trial of Cumhuriyet Newspaper…
The trial of 20 detainees including Cumhuriyet’s President of Executive Board Akın Atalay, journalists Kadri Atalay and Ahmet Şık who are among the arrested 6, took place outside the Court room built outside Silivri Prison. The trial opened through the 27th Heavy Penal Court, was decided to take place in that court room. The court ruled the continuity of arrests following the defendants’ testimonies and attorney’s defenses. Güray Öz, Hakan Kara, Musa Kart, Turhan Günay, Bülent Utku, Mustafa Kemal Güngör and Önder Çelik were released at the first trial of the case on July 24, 2017.
(09/074) Speech of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’in…
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, mentioned the state of human rights in Turkey during his speech at the opening of 36th Human Rights Council in Geneva. During the part of his speech concerning Turkey, Al Hussein stressed that freedom of expression and free speech is under severe pressure, many journalists, academics, attorneys, human rights defenders and civil society activists are detained. Al Hussein addressed and asked the Turkish Government to end these practices violating a healthy, free, transparent society. Al Hussein also called for the extensions of State of Emergency to stop.
(09/075) Operations and Attacks in South East…
It is learned through news coverage that the forest fire started on August 28, 2017 during military operations in Altınsu village of Hakkari’s Şemdinli district continues. As the fire goes on for 13 days, villagers arriving to the area to intervene are blocked by military forces.
(09/076) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned through news coverage on September 11, 2017 that prisoners with severe diseases in İzmir Kırıklar No 2 Type F Prison are restrained from receiving medical treatment. Same news coverage also reported that following the talks on single-type prison uniforms, prisoners couldn’t receive clothes sent to them by relatives, their existing clothes were collected, newspapers, magazines, radio and books were restrained and water has been cut despite the extremely warm weather.
News coverage from September 12, 2017 reported that prisoner İsmet Akın at the Kırklareli Prison who is jailed since 2012, has been prevented from a necessary surgery for 1,5 years.
(09/077) Number of Students in Prison…
Ministry of Justice answered the parliamentary question by CHP MP Gamze Akkuş regarding the number of student jailed in Turkey. Ministry stated that the number of students in prison is 69,301 as of 2016. News coverage reported that total number of people jailed in Turkey is 197,297 which makes students consist 35 percent of the total number. In May 2013, the number of students in prison was 2,776.
(09/078) Swedish Citizen Deported from İstanbul…
On September 12, 2017 news coverage reported that an Iraq born Kurdish young man named Shorsh (27) was interrogated following the passport check at the Istanbul airport. It is learned that he was in Istanbul for vacation, his smartphone was taken by the officers and his social media posts were checked. When Shorsh, who is a Swedish citizen wanted to call Swedish Embassy he was allegedly abused physically. Later he was deported, forced to board a plane to Denmark.
(09/079) Detention and Arrests…
It is learned that 7 persons including 3 Syrians were detained in Urfa. They were arrested by the court they were sent to on September 11, 2017.
(09/080) Detentions and Arrests in Connection with the Coup d’État Attempt…
It is learned that 22 soldiers were detained, detainment requests were issued for 31 soldiers on September 11, 2017 through a Kocaeli based investigation.
It is learned that detainment requests were issued on September 12, 2017 for 63 former MIT employees and operations are in place in 8 cities for capture of these people.
It is learned that a detainment request was issued for former Ege University Dean Cüneyt Hoşcoşkun on September 12, 2017 through a ‘‘FETÖ/PYD’’ investigation. It is reported Hoşcoşkun’s house was raided and some belongings were taken. Hoşcoşkun was not present at the house during the raid.
(09/081) The Trial of Former HDP Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ …
The trial of former HDP Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ continued on September 11, 2017. Yüksekdağ was accused of ‘‘making propaganda of an illegal organization’’ and ‘‘insulting the Turkish Republic and Turkish government’’ by Mersin 2nd heavy Penal Court, based on her speeches at HDP Mersin City Congress and Newroz celebrations. Yüksekdağ did not attend the trial. Indictment requested Yüksekdağ to be sentenced to 10 years. The court adjourned the trial to a further date for Yükseldağ to prepare her defense.
(09/082) Trials of HDP MP’s…
HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş’s trial based on the accusation of ‘’insulting Turkish nation, the Republic and Grand National Assembly of Turkey’’ by Diyarbakır Criminal Court of First Instance No 2 continued on September 11, 2017. Demirtaş did not attend the trial as he refused to attend through SEGBİS. Supreme Court overruled the objection regarding the decision enabling the court to decide defendant’s attendance through SEGBİS. The Court also decided to combine the case with another trial at Diyarbakır Criminal Court of First Instance No 7.
(09/083) Trial of Gündem Newspaper…
The trial of Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Editor in Chief of now closed newspaper Özgür Gündem, continued on September 12, 2017. The case was opened by Istanbul 22th heavy Penal Court. Indictment wants defendant to be sentenced for ‘‘printing and publishing the announcements of an illegal organization’’. The court adjourned the hearing to October 20, 2017.
(09/084) Trials in İstanbul …
The trial of 14 arrested ESP, SKM and SGDF members started on September 11, 2017. Defendants are accused of ‘‘making propaganda of an illegal organization’’ because they carried a photograph of Ayşe Deniz Karacagil who was killed in Syria, during a protest in Istanbul. Following the testimonies all defendants including ESP MYK member Özgen Saadet and SKM spokesperson Gülçin Aykul were released with a judiciary control condition. The trial was adjourned to December 6, 2017.
(09/085) Detentions and Arrests in Connection with the Coup d’État Attempt……
The trial for Fettullah Gülen’s brother Kutbettin Gülen by İzmir 14th Heavy Penal Court continued on September 11, 2017. Arrested defendant Gülen attended the trial through SEGBİS and refused all accusations, requesting his release due to a deteriorating health condition. The court adjourned the trial to a further date and decided on the continuity of defendant’s arrest until committee reports on health conditions arrive.
(09/086) Curfew in Şemdinli…
Governorate of Hakkari declared curfew on 1 village, 2 streets and 1 hamlet for 7 days between 22:00-05:00. The locations with curfew are: Göksu village, Dereboyu and Elde neighborhoods and İncesu hamlet.
(09/087) Events Banned in Mardin…
Governorate of Mardin declared on September 11, 2017 that all marches, public statements, closed and open location meetings, sit-in protests, opening of stands, putting up posters of any kind and distributing pamphlets and any other events obligated to take a special permission from Sub-Governorate between September 7, 2017 and October 19, 2017.
[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, ETHA, Dihaber, Yurt, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, Ntv, Bianet.org, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Alinteri, Kızılbayrak, Özgür Radyo, Sendika.org, El Cezire,BBC, Yüksekova Haber, T24, Diken, Gazete Karınca, Gazete Duvar.