Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
13 November 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(11/134) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
According to the news coverage of 13 November 2024, prisoners in Antalya S Type Prison were not able to benefit from social, sportive and cultural activities although the Prison Administration and Observation Boards (CİGK) scored ‘good behavior’ based on participation in these activities, and in CİGK evaluations, not participating in these activities was presented as a reason for postponement of release, prisoners have not been able to benefit from sportive activities for the last month, they were kept in their rooms for 24 hours, disciplinary proceedings were initiated by the prison administration against prisoners who objected to this situation, requests for room change were not responded, the prison director threatened prisoners with the words ‘I will keep you all here for at least 6 more years’, the prison administration restricted the printed materials that prisoners can buy, magazines and books that are not subject to any ban order were not given to prisoners, breakfast was brought at night.
It is learned from the news coverage of 13 November 2024 that, Mehmet Faruk Engin, a prisoner in Kırşehir S Type Prison, was transferred to Kırşehir High-Security Prison against his will on 5 November 2024, on the grounds of participating in the hunger strike to protest torture and ill-treatment of another prisoner, and was subjected to physical violence by the correction officers when he objected to strip search and was not given a medical report by the prison infirmary.
(11/135) Prevention of Right to Access Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of 13 November 2024 that, Mehmet Ayas, a prisoner in Antalya S Type Prison, has not been referred to a hospital for dental treatment for 8 months, and prisoners are given their prescribed medication late.
It is learned from the news coverage of 13 November 2024 that, Mehmet Faruk Engin, a prisoner, was forced to be examined in handcuffs in Osmaniye Public Hospital, where he was transferred while he was being held in Osmaniye T Type Prison No 2, and that he was not able to access the necessary treatment because of this, and that the doctor he made a complaint about told Mehmet Faruk Ergin ‘I will not examine you because you made a complaint against me’ during another hospital transfer.
(11/136) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan not Responded to…
It is learned that the appeal made on November 12, 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.
(11/137) A Person Arrested in Izmir…
D.K., who was detained by the gendarmerie on 11 November 2024 in the Kiraz district of Izmir on the grounds of attacking an Atatürk bust, was arrested by the criminal peace judgeship on 12 November 2024.
(11/138) A Person Arrested for Social Media Posts in Istanbul…
1 person (Mehmet Arslan) was detained in Istanbul on 10 November 2024 for a social media post about Atatürk and was arrested by the criminal peace judgeship on 11 November 2024.
(11/139) A Child and Others Detained in Van…
On 13 November 2024, several people including a child named B.A. (16) were detained in house raids in the İpekyolu district of Van. The total number of detainees and the reason for the detention could not be learned.
(11/140) Former Association Executive’s Apartment Raided by the Police…
It is learned from the news coverage of 12 November 2024 that, the house of Nasuh Mahruki, founder of AKUT Search and Rescue Association, was raided by the police while he was not at home. It is also reported in the news that the reason for the raid was a social media post of Nasuh Mahruki about the Supreme Election Board (YSK) and an investigation was initiated against him on the charges of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’ and ‘publicly insulting the judicial organs of the state’.
(11/141) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against journalist Gözde Bedeloğlu for her article titled ‘Those who protect the state from yesterday to today’ published in BirGün newspaper, upon the complaint of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Gaziantep MP Sermet Atay, was held on 12 November 2024 at Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of First Instance No 2. The court sentenced the journalist to 7800 TL judicial fine and deferred the announcement of the verdict on the charge of ‘insult’.
(11/142) Journalists and Others on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against 9 people including Mehmet Kamış, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the shut down Zaman newspaper and Ali Çolak, Culture and Arts Editor of the newspaper, continued on 12 November 2024 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 26. The indictment demands a sentence for the defendants on the charges of ‘attempting to abolish the Grand National Assembly of Turkey or prevent it from performing its duty’, ‘attempting to abolish the Government of the Republic of Turkey or prevent it from performing its duty’, ‘attempting to abolish the constitutional order’ and ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court rejected to lift the judicial control conditions on Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak and adjourned the trial to 13 February 2025.
Mehmet Kamış was arrested on 23 November 2023 and Ali Çolak was arrested on 9 July 2024. Both were released on judicial control conditions at the hearing of the case held on 25 July 2024.
(11/143) Party Executive and Others on Trial in Şırnak…
On 12 November 2024, the final trial of the case against Süleyman Salğucak, who asked the question ‘Speak, where are you from?’ to the military and police voters in Şırnak during the elections held on 31 March 2024, and against Abdullah Güngen and Tufan Ertaş, provincial co-chairs of Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), was held at Şırnak Penal Court of First Instance No 1. The court acquitted 3 people on the charge of ‘preventing voters from entering the polling station or voting by using threats/force/violence’.
(11/144) A Police Officer on Trial in Elazığ…
It is learned that in the case of S.T. (14, m) who was seriously wounded by special operations police officer Bahadır Turan hitting his head with a buttock during the police intervention against a protest in Hakkari on 23 April 2009, Elazığ Heavy Penal Court No 3 upheld the sentence of 6 years and 3 months given to Bahadır Turan on the charge of ‘qualified wounding’, and that Bahadır Turan was arrested.
In the lawsuit filed against the police officer Bahadır Turan on the charges of ‘attempted intentional killing’ and ‘torture’ at Isparta Penal Court of First Instance No 3, the court sentenced him to 6 months and 7 days of imprisonment on the grounds that ‘the police officer was in a state of self-defense, his psychology was disturbed and he used his authority to use force’ and the sentence was converted into a judicial fine. S.T.’s lawyers applied to the Constitutional Court (AYM) in 2014 after the court decision was approved by the Court of Cassation. In 2017, the Constitutional Court found the application inadmissible for ‘violation of the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment’, ruled that the material and procedural aspects of the right to life were violated and sent the file to Isparta for retrial. The court sentenced the defendant police officer Bahadır Turan to 5 years in prison, but this decision was overturned by the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Appeals due to the low sentence.
(11/145) TJA Members on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against 11 women members of Tevgera Jinên Azad (TJA) started on 12 November 2024 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25. The indictment demands a sentence for 11 women on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court rejected the lawyers’ demand for lifting the judicial control conditions on TJA members and adjourned the trial to 13 February 2025.
(11/146) Life Defenders on Trial in Muğla…
The first hearing of the lawsuit filed against life defenders Ahmet Tatar and İkizköy neighborhood mukhtar Nejla Işık, on the grounds of the watch action held in 2021 against the lignite mine in Akbelen Forest in the Milas district of Muğla, was held on 12 November 2024 at Muğla Milas Civil Court of First Instance No 4. The press and villagers were prevented from entering the courtroom and the court acquitted 2 life defenders on the charge of ‘occupying and benefiting from the forest’.
(11/147) People on Trial in Kars…
It is learned from the news coverage of 13 November 2024 that, Kars Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment of Kars Public Prosecutor’s Office against 29 people for participating in the ‘Great Freedom March’ on 1-15 February 2024, demanding an end to the isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The indictment demands a sentence for 29 people on the charge of ‘violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’. The first hearing of the case will be held on 14 November 2024.
(11/148) The Constitutional Court Decision on a Prisoner’s Ill-Treatment Applications Not Being Investigated…
It is learned from the news coverage of 13 November 2024 that, the Constitutional Court decided on the individual application of Hakan Buzhane, who was kept in Marmara (Silivri) L Type Prison No 2 between 30 March 2015 and 21 September 2019, about the rejection of his application to the Execution Judgeship about the violations in prison on 3 January 2019. The Constitutional Court ruled that Hakan Buzhane’s ‘allegation of violation of the right to an effective remedy in connection with the prohibition of ill-treatment is admissible’ and that ‘the right to effective remedy has been violated’. The Constitutional Court also decided to pay 100 thousand TL non-pecuniary damages to the applicant.
(11/149) Banned Events and Demonstrations…
The Governorate of Van announced on 12 November 2024 that demonstrations, open-air meetings, indoor and outdoor meetings, press statements, sit-in protests and surveys, setting up/opening tents and stands, organizing petitions, distributing leaflets, brochures and flyers and all kinds of protest activities and the entry and exit of people who are considered to be able to participate in these activities are banned for 10 days between 12 November 2024 and 21 November 2024.
(11/150) Special Security Zone in Şırnak…
The Governorate of Şırnak announced on 12 November 2024 that Bestler Dereler Region in the central district of Şırnak, Gabar Mountain Region in the central district and Güçlükonak district of Şırnak, Cudi Mountain Region in the central district, Silopi and Cizre districts of Şırnak, Kurt Mountain Region in the central district, Silopi and Uludere districts of Şırnak, Kelmehmetler-Dönmezler-Kovankaya Region in the Beytüşşebap district of Şırnak, Tahtareş, Hüsrevpaşa-Suhurpaşayayla, İncebeldağları, Faraşin Regions, Altındağları Region within the borders of Beytüşşebap district of Şırnak province, Oymakaya regions within the borders of Beytüşşebap and Uludere districts of Şırnak province have been declared as temporary special security zones for 15 days between 13 November 2024 and 27 November 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.