Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
17 -19 January 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(01/093) Prisoners whose Release was Adjourned by the Prison Administration and Observation Board…
It is learned from the news coverage of January 18, 2026 that, the release of Mustafa Amutgan, a prisoner in Erzincan High Security T Type Prison, who completed his life sentence on July 7, 2024, was adjourned for 3 months by the Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK) on the grounds of not being in good behaviour. Mustafa Amutgan’s release had been adjourned 3 times before, for 18 months in total.
(01/094) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
On January 16, 2025, the police intervened the press declaration of Liseli Genç Umut in front of Provincial Directorate of National Education in Istanbul and detained 2 children. 2 children were released the same day after statement procedures at the police.
(01/095) Journalist Detained in Şırnak While Following News…
Ajansa Welat reporter Nedim Oruç, who was detained by the police using physical violence while covering the protests in Cizre district of Şırnak on January 14, 2026, about the attacks on Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo city of Syria, and was taken to Şırnak, is arrested by the criminal court of peace on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ on January 17, 2025.
(01/096) Detained People in Antalya…
5 of 14 people who were detained on January 14, 2026 through an investigation against Antalya Metropolitan Municipality were arrested by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace on January 18, 2026 on the grounds of causing public damage. 9 people are released, 7 of them on judicial control conditions.
(01/097) Person Arrested in Ankara on the grounds of Social Media Posts…
Fahrettin Gökberk Akbulut, administrator of social media account named Distaste, who was detained through an investigation initiated by Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office, is arrested by the criminal court of peace on January 18, 2026 on the charge of ‘public incitement to hatred and hostility’.
(01/098) Police Intervention to Protests in Mersin, Adana, Mardin, Şırnak…
3 of 6 people (Devran Şimşek, Nazar Bulut and Umut Yağan) who were detained for participating in the protest organized in Seyhan district of Adana on January 14, 2026, for the attacks against Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo city of Syria, are arrested by the criminal court of peace; 3 people are released on judicial control conditions.
4 people including 2 children who were detained for participating in the protest organized for the same cause in Akdeniz district of Mersin, are released after statement procedures at the criminal court of peace to which they were referred on January 16, 2026. The names of the detained people are: U.S., S.A., Sedat Baydar, Kemal Delen.
4 of 14 people including 10 children who were detained for participating in protests organized for the same reason in Silopi, Cizre and İdil districts of Şırnak, 4 of them including 2 children are arrested by the criminal court of peace on January 16, 2026. 10 people were released on judicial control conditions.
4 of 18 people who were detained for participating in protests for the same cause in Kızıltepe and Artuklu districts of Mardin, are arrested by the criminal court of peace on January 16 and 17, 2026. 14 people were released, 7 of them on judicial control conditions.
1 of 15 people including 6 children (Barış İlter) who were detained for participating in the protests in Adana for the same reason, is arrested by the criminal court of peace on January 17, 2026. 14 people were released on judicial control conditions.
3 of 6 children who were detained for participating in the protests in Van for the same reason, are arrested by the criminal court of peace on January 18, 2026.
The police used live bullets to intervene the protest organized for the same cause in Akdeniz district of Mersin on January 18, 2026. It is not known whether anyone was detained during the intervention.
(01/099) HDP Former Co-Chair on Trial…
The trial of the case against Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), on the grounds of his speeches at press declarations and rallies in 2016, continued on January 19, 2026 at Diyarbakır Penal Court of First Instance No 18.
The indictment demands sentence for Selahattin Demirtaş on the charges of ‘denigrating the State and Government of the Republic of Turkey’, ‘inciting people to hatred and hostility’, ‘inciting to commit crime’, ‘praising crime and criminal’ and ‘violating Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No 2911’. The court adjourned the trial to June 3, 2026.
(10/100) Journalist on Trial in Adıyaman…
The trial of the case against journalist Ahmet Kanbal, on the grounds of his programs on the Maraş earthquake on February 6, 2023, continued on January 16, 2026 at Adıyaman Criminal Court of First Instance No. 5. The indictment demands sentence for Ahmet Kanbal on the charge of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’. The court adjourned the trial to March 6, 2026.
(01/101) Investigation Against Journalist…
It is learned from news coverage of January 16, 2026 that Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against journalist Tolga Şardan, on the grounds of ‘violating the confidentiality of the investigation’, for his news reports on the plane crash in which Libyan military delegation including Libyan Chief of General Staff died.
(01/102) Co-Mayors, City Council Members and Other People on Trial…
Mersin Heavy Penal Court No 2 continued on January 16, 2026 to hear the case against co-mayors of Akdeniz district of Mersin, Hoşyar Sarıyıldız and Nuriye Arslan, and 10 people including city council member Özgür Çağlar and Mersin provincial co-chair of Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Reşat Aşan.
The indictment demands sentence for 10 people on the charges of ‘being an illegal organisation member’, ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, ‘violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No 2911’ and ‘financing an illegal organisation’.
The court adjourned the hearing to a later date.
Hoşyar Sarıyıldız, Nuriye Arslan and Özgür Çağlar were arrested on January 13, 2025 and were released at the first hearing of the case held on October 31, 2025.
(01/103) University Students Expelled from Dormitories in Kocaeli for Protests in Kocaeli…
On January 18, 2025, it is learned from news coverage of January 18, 2025 that, 5 university students were expelled from Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Arzlı, Gazi Süleyman Paşa, Samiha Ayverdi dormitories of Credit and Dormitories Institution, on the grounds of participating in protests in Kocaeli for detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor. The names of the students were not available.
(01/104) President’s Discriminatory and Phobic Speech…
In the President’s speech at a ceremony organized for the anniversary of the establishment of a foundation on January 17, 2026, the following statements were made “Due to the impositions of cultural imperialism on a global scale, we are facing a risk of degradation that extends from the individual to the family and from the family to society. From deviant movements such as LGBT to addiction, from the destruction of privacy to attacks on the institution of the family, we face challenges that threaten all humanity from 7 to 70, as well as our 86 million citizens.”
(01/105) Access Restricted Internet Content…
On January 17, 2026, it is learned from the news coverage of January 17, 2026 that, 3 X social media accounts of Alınteri Newspaper, Çark Magazine and Communist Youth of Turkey were banned to access on the grounds of protection of national security and public order, through Article 8/A of Law No 5651.
On January 17, 2026, it is learned from news coverage of January 17, 2026 that, 3 news reports on https://www.sabah.com.tr/, https://www.ntv.com.tr/ websites about suicide of a member of security forces who was wounded in clashes, are banned to access on the grounds of protection of national security and public order, through Article 8/A of Law No 5651.
[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.