Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
14 March 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(03/088) No Answer to the Application for Meeting with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on March 14, 2025 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s family and legal guardian in order to visit Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in İmralı Prison was not responded.
(03/089) Political Party Member Detained in Urfa for Social Media Posts…
DEM Party Youth Assembly member Hüseyin Aslan was detained in Bozova district of Urfa on March 14, 2025, on the grounds of a social media post about Siirt Governor appointed as trustee instead of Siirt Mayor.
(03/090) Detained Person in Ankara for Social Media Posts…
It is learned that Veli Saçılık was detained in Ankara on March 11, 2025 for his social media posts and was released after statement procedures on the same day.
(03/091) The Case Against Party Chair…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel due to his statements about Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor in 6 different group meetings of his party was held on March 14, 2025. The court ruled Özgür Özel to pay a total of 480,000 TRY non-pecuniary damages.
(03/092) The Case Against Saturday Mothers/People in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against 46 people, including Saturday Mothers and rights defenders, who were detained during the police intervention against the 700th week session of Saturday Mothers/People, is held at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 21 on March 14, 2025. The court acquitted 46 people on the charge of ‘violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’.
(03/093) Özgür Gündem Trial…
The trial of the case against Hüseyin Aykol and Zana Kaya, editor-in-chief Hüseyin Aykol and Zana Kaya, managing editor İnan Kızılkaya and politician Hatip Dicle of Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, continued on March 13, 2025 at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 2. The court decided to continue detention warrant for Hatip Dicle and adjourned the trial to March 20, 2025.
(03/094) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against Tele1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ, for his remarks in a TV program, was held at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 30 on March 13, 2025. The indictment demands sentence for Merdan Yanardağ on the charge of ‘publicly degrading the military or security organization of the state’. The court adjourned the hearing to March 20, 2025.
(03/095) Journalists Against Whom Criminal Complaints were Filed…
It is learned from news coverage of March 14, 2025 that Cengiz Holding’s owner filed a criminal complaint to Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against 26 journalists working for Sözcü newspaper, for 174 news reports about the holding in the newspaper and on the newspaper’s website. The journalists against whom criminal complaints were filed are: Necati Doğru, Saygı Öztürk, Emin Özgönül, Güney Öztürk, Sultan Uçar, Deniz Zeyrek, Esra Alus, Bahar Kurşun, Cemil Kızıltürk, Elif Tokbay, Başak Kaya, Deniz Ayhan, Yaşar Anter, Veli Toprak, Zekeriya Albayrak, Ali Macit, Gökmen Ulu, Erdoğan Süzer, Yavuz Alatan, Cem Yıldırım, Evren Demirdaş, Özgür Cebe, Tarık Işık, Ercüment İşleyen, Berk Cömert, Mahir Ağar.
(03/096) Investigations Against Rights Defenders, Bar Association Executives in Izmir…
It is learned that Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) Secretary General Coşkun Üsterci, who participated in the press declaration in front of Izmir Bar Association on June 2, 2023 in solidarity and observation of Ege University students who were forced to cancel the picnic they wanted to organize as part of Pride Month due to attacks and threats of hate groups as well as the rectorate’s failure to take necessary security measures, was subjected to an investigation by Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on the grounds of ‘Violation of Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’ and gave his statement on March 14, 2025.
It is also learned that lawyer Zöhre Dalkıran, then Vice President of Izmir Bar Association, and lawyer Gamze Şimşek, executive board member in charge of LGBTI+ rights commission of Izmir Bar Association, also gave their statements through the same investigation. The exact number and names of the people who are under investigation and gave statements could not be learned.
[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.