Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
13 March 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(03/102) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
According to the news coverage of March 13, 2024, social and cultural activities in Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison are limited to 3 – 4 hours a week instead of 10 hours a week, prisoners cannot benefit from activities such as courses and workshops, books and magazines to be given to prisoners take months to be examined and prisoners can get access to these publications late, some publications which are not subject to recall warrant or sales ban are not delivered to prisoners due to being ‘objectionable’, prisoners cannot access to oppositional publications, political prisoners are placed in the same corridor with judicial prisoners and political prisoners are subjected to verbal attacks of judicial prisoners when they are in the same ventilation area, prisoners’ petitions to prison administration and prosecutor’s office remain unanswered.
(03/103) Prevention of Right to Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of March 13, 2024, that prisoners in Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison were forced to be searched inside their mouths during hospital transfers for 3 years, prisoners who reject this practice are prevented from their right to treatment, and medication prescribed by physicians are given to prisoners in single doses for security reasons.
(03/104) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan not Responded to…
It is learned that the appeal made on March 12, 2024, to the chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by the lawyers to visit their clients PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in İmralı Prison was not responded by Bursa Public Prosecutor’s Office.
(03/105) March 31st Elections…
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2024, that the billboards of Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on the route of the President’s convoy were removed by Mardin Metropolitan Municipality and replaced with billboards of Justice and Development Party (AKP) before the President’s rally in Mardin on March 13, 2024.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2024, that the election stand and tent of the Labour Party (EMEP) in the Ümraniye district of Istanbul was attacked by a person and the attacker was detained by the police.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 13, 2024, that an election tent of the Zafer Party in the Kartal district of Istanbul was set on fire by anonymous person or persons.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 13, 2024, that a member of the Zafer Party in the Etimesgut district of Ankara was attacked with a knife by a group of people who were removing banners of the Zafer Party and was wounded.
(03/106) Interventions against Newroz…
On March 12, 2024, members of DEM Party Istanbul Provincial Organization who were distributing leaflets in front of Süreyya Opera House in Kadıköy district of Istanbul to call for Istanbul Newroz to be held on March 17, 2024, at Yenikapı Meeting Area, were prevented by the police and the people distributing leaflets were blockaded by the police. 18 people, including DEM Party Kadıköy Co-Mayoral Candidates Nimet Çelebi Erdoğan and Veysi Eski, were detained. 18 people were released on the same day after statement procedures at the police station.
(03/107) People Arrested in Istanbul…
On March 12, 2024, Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) Central Executive Committee (MYK) member Adnan Özcan and Hüseyin İldan were arrested on the allegations of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and DEM Party Istanbul Provincial Executive Ömer Akgün was arrested on the allegations of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. DİSK Limter-İş President Kanber Saygılı, SGDF Co-Chair Okan Danacı, SGDF FMC members Senem Pektaş, Hivda Selen, Berfin Polat and Emrah Topaloğlu were released on judicial control conditions on March 12, 2024.
(03/108) Person Detained in Manisa…
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2024, that C. Ö., who allegedly attacked an Atatürk bust with an axe in the Şehzadeler district of Manisa on March 11, 2024, was detained. It is reported that C. Ö. was released on the same day after statement procedures.
(03/109) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against Mezopotamya Agency (MA) editor Abdurrahman Gök continued on March 12, 2024, at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5. The indictment demands a sentence for Abdurrahman Gök on the charges of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. The court decided to continue judicial control measures against Abdurrahman Gök and adjourned the trial to June 11, 2024.
Abdurrahman Gök was detained in Diyarbakır on April 25, 2023, arrested on April 27, 2023, and released at the first hearing of the case on December 5, 2023.
(03/110) Artist on Trial in Istanbul…
On November 25, 2020, Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2 heard the case on the grounds of a cartoon published in a magazine with the title ‘Sex in pandemic’, and it is learned that the report of Obscene Publications Board was submitted to the case file. The cartoon was found ‘obscene’ by the Board on the grounds that it ‘offends the public’s sense of honor and decency, provokes and exploits sexual desires and is contrary to public morality’. The indictment demands sentence for Zehra Ömeroğlu on the charge of ‘obscenity’.
(03/111) Police Officers on Trial in Istanbul…
3 police officers were sentenced to a judicial fine by Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 35 on the grounds of violence against journalist Beyza Kural during news monitoring. The final hearing of the retrial was held on March 12, 2024, following the reversal of the judicial fine by Penal Department 23 of Istanbul Regional Court of Appeals. The court sentenced 3 police officers to 9.000 Turkish Liras each, deferred the announcement of the verdict, and decided to file a criminal complaint against 3 police officers for ‘assault’ and ‘prevention of freedom of expression’.
On November 6, 2015, journalist Beyza Kural was subjected to physical violence by the police while covering a press statement in Istanbul to protest against the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). With its decision dated February 18, 2021, the Constitutional Court ruled that the prohibition of treatment incompatible with human dignity, freedom of expression and freedom of the press were violated upon Beyza Kural’s individual application. The Court also ordered a re-investigation to eliminate the consequences of the violation and awarded Beyza Kural 15.000 TL non-pecuniary damages. 3 police officers (K. A., N. D., Y. Ş.) were prosecuted by Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 35 on December 1, 2022. At the final hearing of the case held on December 1, 2022, the court sentenced the defendant police officers to a judicial fine of 6.000 TL each on the charge of “violation of freedom of work and employment” and decided to pay the fine in 10 installments.
(03/112) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2024, that the domain name www. mezopotamyaajansi35.com of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) is banned from access on the grounds of ‘protection of national security and public order’ by Erzurum Criminal Peace Judgeship No 1 on March 12, 2024.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 12, 2024, that a total of 3 contents on https://www.takvim.com.tr, https://haberciniz.bizve and https://tele1.com.tr, about a person who says “I am the man of Külliye, I am the state”, were banned from access by a decision of the Association of Access Providers (ESB) dated March 11, 2024.
On March 13, 2024, it is learned from news coverage of March 13, 2024 that a news report on https://www.evrensel.net about Justice and Development Party (AKP) Şırnak Uludere Hilal town mayor was banned to access by Uludere Criminal Peace Judgeship on the grounds of ‘violation of personal rights’ on March 11, 2024.
[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.