Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
15 December 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/162) Person Subjected to Physical Violence of Police in Batman…
It is learned that a waste paper picker whose name is unknown, was subjected to physical violence of the police in Batman on December 14, 2020.
(12/163) Asylum Seeker Subjected to Physical Violence in Istanbul…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 14, 2020 that, an asylum seeker who was reported to hide in a truck destined for Italy, was subjected to physical violence after he was taken out of the truck in Ataşehir district of Istanbul on December 10, 2020. The name of the asylum seeker is unknown.
It is stated in the news reports that, the person who recorded a video of the incident says “They called the customs enforcement officers. I could not figure out who the person that slapped is, he is probably a customs officer, maybe the person in charge of paper works. (…) The person that slapped him, took him to a cabin-like place and beat him there too”.
(12/164) People Forced to be Police Informants…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 14, 2020 that, Cevahir Kayar, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Women’s Assembly member who was detained in Denizli on December 1, 2020; was forced to be a police informant under custody. It is also stated in the news reports that the police raiding the house of Cevahir Kayar, did not follow social distance rules and responded with racist hate speech to those who warned them about it.
Cevahir Kayar stated the following: “They were trying to illegalize me through verbal harassment. During the interrogation, they were insisting that we were in terror activities. They told me that I was going to be arrested in case I do not cooperate with them. I said ‘let the court arrest me’. (…) They were not wearing face masks when they were going near my 70-year-old mother, and when I asked them to wear face masks, one of them said ‘We tested negative so we do not have to wear face masks’. And he said ‘Our blood is clean, your blood is dirty; you would not be contaminated from us, we are clean people’ when my friend objected him”.
(12/165) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 15, 2020 that several prisoners joined the indefinite hunger strike in turns which started in prisons on November 26, 2020, demanding an end to isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and to right violations in prisons.
The prisoners joining the strike are:
- Ankara Sincan Women’s Prison: 2 prisoners (Newroz Gülen and Fatma Aslan).
(12/166) Detained People in Şırnak…
2 people (Civan Temur and Ramazan Saymez) who were detained in Cizre district of Şırnak on December 12, 2020 are arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on December 14, 2020.
(12/167) Detained People in Mersin…
2 of 6 people (Agit Kalkan and Hasan Künkün) who were arrested in Mersin on December 8, 2020 are arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on December 14, 2020. 4 people are released on judicial control conditions.
(12/168) Hrant Dink Murder Case…
The case against 85 people (4 arrested) including security, national intelligence and gendarmerie personnel, on the grounds of being responsible and negligent on the murder of Hrant Dink, executive editor of Agos newspaper, is held on December 14, 2020 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14.
The court rejected Dink family lawyers demanding time for legal opinion of the prosecutor; and adjourned the trial to December 17, 2020.
(12/169) Co-Mayor on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final trial of the case against Rojda Nazlıer, HDP co-mayor of Kocaköy district of Diyarbakır is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 11 on December 14, 2020.
After defence hearings the court sentenced Rojda Nazlıer to 9 years on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
Rojda Nazlıer was detained on October 21, 2019, and was arrested by the court on October 22, 2019. Ministry of Interior has appointed a trustee to Kocaköy Municipality on October 22, 2019.
(12/170) TJA Activist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against Gülcihan Şimşek, an activist of Tevgera Jinên Azad – Free Women’s Movement (TJA) through an investigation against Rosa Women’s Association is held on December 14, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for Gülcihan Şimşek on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
The court adjourned the trial to March 31, 2021.
(12/171) Military Member on Trial in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that Penal Department No 16 of Antep Regional Court, concluded on the appeal on 20 months of jail sentence given to specialist sergeant S. K., on the charge of ‘reckless killing’ on December 14, 2020. The court decided that the local court’s verdict does not contradict to law in terms of procedure and principle, and converted the jail sentence to 18,200 Turkish Liras which would be paid on account in 24 months. Pakize Hazar (85) lost her life after being hit by the armoured car driven by specialist sergeant S. K., and Lice Penal Court of First Instance has sentenced S. K. to 1 year and 8 months on September 22, 2018.
(12/172) Ban of Events in Tunceli…
Tunceli Governorate made a declaration on December 13, 2020 and announced that, all events such as demonstrations and meetings; open-door meetings, sit-in protests, hunger strikes, opening stands, collecting petitions, concerts, festivals, distributing leaflets, hanging banners, carrying torches, conferences and so on are banned for 15 days as of December 13, 2020.
(12/173) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that 5 different social media posts of Ahmet Şık, independent Istanbul MP, about the investigation against a member of judiciary, on the charges of violence against women and corruption; is banned to access on the grounds of violation of personal rights, by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 4 on December 14, 2020.
It is learned that 3 different social media posts of the account @perchem, which were about the sexual harassment that the account owner was subjected, and an entry on https://eksisozluk.com/ website about the same issue, is banned to access by Ankara Penal Court of Peace No 1 on December 14, 2020.
(12/174) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 229 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 5,064 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on December 14, 2020. It is also declared that the daily number of Covid-19 case is 29,617.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 16,646 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 1,866,345 as of December 16, 2020.
It is learned that 2 health workers (doctor Nezih Aydoğan in Mersin and radiology technician Abdurrahman Ürkmez in Hatay) lost their lives due to Covid-19 on December 14, 2020.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 14, 2020 that 16 prisoners in Karabük T Type Prison tested positive for Covid-19.
On December 14, 2020, the President made a declaration and announced a continuous general curfew as of 21.00 on December 31, 2020 until 05.00 on January 4, 2021.
[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.