Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
16 September 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(09/151) Operations and Attacks in Southeast…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 15, 2020 that, 2 militants died in a clash between security forces and HPG militants in rural areas of Yüksekova district of Hakkari on September 13, 2020.
(09/152) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 15, 2020 that, prisoners in Van F Type Closed Prison went on a hunger strike on September 12, 2020 by turns of groups. It is learned that prisoners demand the end of right violations and isolation of political prisoners, removal of nets over open-door areas of the prison, end of arbitrary body searches before contact and non-contact visits, longer open-door time for prisons who have been sentenced to heavy life imprisonment, and to get back their radios which were seized during a state of emergency days.
(09/153) Police Intervention to a Protest in Hatay…
The police intervened the press declaration at Abdullah Cömert Park in Samandağ district of Hatay on September 15, 2020, about Edibe Özçelik who had a heart attack when her house was raided by the police in Samandağ district of Hatay and who died on January 20, 2020; and detained 1 person (Filiz Özçelik) by using physical violence. The detained person was released on the same day.
(09/154) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
The police prevented the protest of Istanbul Chamber of Medicine members who wanted to march from Istanbul Medicine Faculty Hospital to Haseki Training and Research Hospital, to demand an urgent act plan from the government against Covid-19; moral and material support to health workers; Covid-19 to be accepted as an occupational disease for health workers and cancellation of Health Transformation Plan, on September 15, 2020. The police prevented the march on the grounds of Fatih Sub-Governorate’s interdict as a part of precautions for Covid-19.
(09/155) Detained People in Bitlis…
On September 15, 2020, 5 people are detained in house raids in Bitlis. The reason for the detention is unknown. Detained people are: Şerif Çoban, Bari Karakuzu, Sani Güneri, Berivan Saz and Havzullah Erkoç.
(09/156) Detained Association Chair and Members in Mersin…
It is learned that 3 people (Precarious Workers’ Association chair Abdulselam Kutlu and members Fadil Sevinç and Kazım Acar) are detained in house raids in Mersin on September 15, 2020. Abdulselam Kutlu has called agricultural workers in Çukurova area to halt work, after negotiations stand-off with Mediterranean Exporter Associations on daily wages of workers.
(09/157) Data Collection of Istanbul Security Directorate About Academics Who Signed “We Will Not be a Party to This Crime” Petition…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 15, 2020 that Istanbul Security Directorate has sent an official letter to the İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 and requested the detailed rulings on academics Esra Mungan, Muzaffer Kaya, Kıvanç Ersoy, Sevda Bulduk and Şebnem Korur Fincancı who were on trial for signing “We Will Not be a Party to This Crime” petition, to be sent to the Data Collection and Archive Bureau of the Security Branch Directorate.
(09/158) Lawyers on Trial in Istanbul…
On September 15, 2020, Penal Department No 16 of the Supreme Court approved the sentenced given to 17 lawyers, all members of Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD) and Peoples’ Law Office (HHB); and reversed the verdicts against 3 lawyers (Barkın Timtik, Selçuk Kozağaçlı and Ezgi Çakır). 20 lawyers from ÇHD and HHB were sentenced to jail penalties by Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37 on March 20, 2019.
The Supreme Court ruled that there is no ground to decide on verdicts against lawyer Ebru Timtik, who died on 238th day of her death fast on August 27, 2020. The Supreme Court ruled that 18 years and 9 months of sentence given to Barkın Timtik on the charge of ‘establishing and leading an illegal organisation’ should be re-evaluated together with another case against her on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The Supreme Court ruled that 11 years and 3 months of sentence given to Selçuk Kozağaçlı on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ should be re-evaluated together with another case against him on the charge of ‘leading an illegal organisation member’; Ezgi Çakır who was sentenced to 8 years on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ should be charged with ‘knowingly and willingly aiding an illegal organisation’.
Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37 has sentenced Ayşegül Çağatay, Yağmur Ereren, Didem Baydar Ünsal, Yaprak Türkmen to 3 years and 9 months each and Ahmet Mandacı and Zehra Özdemir to 3 years 1 month and 15 days each, on the charge of ‘knowingly and willingly aiding an illegal organisation’. The local court has separated the cases against Oya Aslan and Günay Dağ; and sentenced Özgür Yılmaz and Ebru Timtik to 13 years and 6 months each; Behiç Aşçı and Şükriye Erden to 12 years each; Engin Gökoğlu, Aytaç Ünsal and Süleyman Gökten to 10 years and 6 months each; Aycan Çiçek and Naciye Demir to 9 years each for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
Lawyers from ÇHD and HHB were detained on November 8, 2017 and were arrested on November 13, 2017. The court has released 17 lawyers on September 14, 2018 however, they were arrested again upon prosecutor’s appeal on September 16 and 17, 2018.
(09/159) Gezi Park Case…
The first trial of the case against Can Dündar, Mehmet Ali Alabora, Ayşe Pınar Alabora, Gökçe Tüylüoğlu, Handan Meltem Arıkan, Hanzade Hikmet Germiyanoğlu and İnanç Ekmekçi for Gezi Park protests in 2013, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 30 on September 15, 2020. The case was originally against 16 people and at the final trial held on February 18, 2020, the court has acquitted 9 people, and separated the case against 7 people who live abroad.
After defence hearings the court rejected the demands of acquittal of 7 people and adjourned the trial to January 14, 2021.
(09/160) Police Officer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final trial of the case against police officer Burhan Kolbaş, for causing death of 3 people (10-year-old child Zilan Yamankılıç and Remzi Menteşe and İlhan Ayaç) in the crash of a police armoured vehicle in Lice district of Diyarbakır on June 19, 2017, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 3 on September 15, 2020.
The court sentenced police officer Burhan Kolbaş to 5 years on the charge of ‘reckless killing’, and reduced the sentence to 4 years and 2 months on the grounds of good behaviour during judging, and finally converted the jail sentence to a penal fine of 45,600 Turkish Liras.
(09/161) Efe Tektekin Case…
The trial of the case against police officer İ. A., for death of Efe Tektekin (5), due to being hit by an armoured police vehicle in Bağlar district of Diyarbakır on September 11, 2019, is held at Diyarbakır Penal Court of First Instance No 9 on September 15, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for İ. A. on the charge of reckless killing. The court decided to accept to exempt police officer İ. A. from attending trials, to demand video footage from the cameras inside the armoured vehicle and adjourned the trial to January 12, 2021.
(09/162) ‘Musician on Trial for ‘Insulting the President’…
The case against musician Ferhat Tunç on the charge of ‘insulting the President’ is held at Istanbul Büyükçekmece Penal Court of First Instance No 14 on September 15, 2020. The court issued a detention warrant for Ferhat Tunç and adjourned the trial to February 23, 2021.
(09/163) ECHR Decision on Ragıp Zarakolu…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 15, 2020 that European Court of Human Rights concluded on the appeal of writer and publisher Ragıp Zarakolu. ECHR stated that “right to security and freedom” guaranteed by Article 5 and “freedom of expression” guaranteed by Article 10 of European Convention on Human Rights, and ruled that Ragıp Zarakolu should be paid 6,500 Euros for compensation. Ragıp Zarakolu was arrested on October 27, 2011 and was released by the court on April 10, 2012.
(09/164) Constitutional Court Decision on Ban of Access to a Website…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 15, 2020 that, the Constitutional Court concluded on the appeal for ban of access to sendika.org website for 62 times, and ruled that freedom of expression and press was violated by ban decisions. It is learned that the court will send the verdict to the related local court for lift of ban decisions.
(09/165) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On September 15, 2020, 4 people are detained through an Istanbul based investigation, 17 people including military members on active duty and military school students are detained through an Istanbul based investigation and 53 people including military members on active duty are detained through an Izmir based investigation.
(09/166) Covid-19 Pandemic…
Ministry of Health declared that 67 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,742 new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed on September 15, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 7,186 and total number of confirmed cases is 294,620 as of September 15, 2020.
Antalya Governorate made a declaration on September 15, 2020 and restricted citizens at the age of 65 and older and citizens with chronic diseases from going out of their houses except for a time period of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
[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.