Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
18 July 2023 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/140) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded…
It is learned that the appeal made on July 18, 2023 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by the lawyers of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, in order to visit him was not responded.
(07/141) Police Intervention to Leaflet Distribution in Istanbul…
The police intervened in the youth organisations’ members who were distributing leaflets in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on July 17, 2023 to call for the commemoration for those who lost their lives in the bombing attack in Suruç district of Urfa on July 20, 2015; and detained 46 people including 2 children by using physical violence. It is learned that the police prevented journalists from recording the intervention and forced them away. It is reported that the detainees were kept in handcuffs for 11 hours, at least 1 person was injured and 1 child was abused by a police chief. It is learned that 2 children were released by the court on July 18, 2023 on judicial control condition of “planting trees”.
(07/142) Detained People in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that 3 people who were distributing Azadî newspaper in Diyarbakır on July 17, 2023 were detained by the police using physical violence and that they were released on July 18, 2023 after statement procedures.
(07/143) Investigation Against Journalist…
It is learned from the news coverage of July 18, 2023 that, Kuşadası Penal Court of Peace issued a detention warrant for Özgür Yurttaş Haber news site executive editor Mehmet Murat Yıldırım, through the investigation of Aydın Public Prosecutor’s Office against him on the grounds of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
(07/144) Lawyer on Trial in Hakkari…
The first trial of the case against lawyer Harika Günay Karataş on the charge of ‘insulting a public official’ is held at Hakkari Yüksekova Penal Court of First Instance No. 1 on July 18, 2023. The court adjourned the trial to October 23, 2023. 2 lawyers (Harika Günay Karataş and Fırat İke who went to Yüksekova Gendarmerie Command to see 20 people who were detained, subjected to torture and ill-treatment in Yüksekova district of Hakkari on June 26, 2023, were forced away from the gendarmerie station by physical violence.
(07/145) Şenyaşar Family Case…
The trial of the case against 19 people including 2 arrestees, regarding death of 3 members of Şenyaşar family, in the state hospital in Suruç district of Urfa on June 14, 2018, is held at Malatya Heavy Penal Court No. 5 on July 18, 2023.
The indictment demands sentence for the defendants on the charges of ‘killing more than one person’, ‘attempting to kill more than one person’, ‘damaging public property’, ‘concealing and destroying evidence of crime’, ‘violating workplace immunity’.
It is learned that the court rejected intervention demand of Ağrı bar association and adjourned the trial to October 6, 2023.
(07/146) Taksim Bomb Attack Case…
The trial of the case against 36 people, 27 of whom are arrested, regarding the bomb attack that took place in Taksim, in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on November 13, 2022 that killed 6 people and injured 99, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 13 on June 17, 2023. After defence hearings the court decided to continue the detention of 27 people and adjourned the trial to September 25, 2023.
(07/147) Nezir Tekçi Case…
The retrial of the case against 2 retired colonels, regarding forced disappearance and killing of Nezir Tekçi, who was detained by the soldiers in Yukarıölçek village of Yüksekova district of Hakkari on April 28, 1995, is held at Eskişehir Heavy Penal Court No. 1 on July 17, 2023. Retired colonel Ali Osman Akın attended the trial and retired colonel Kemal Alkan joined the trial via sound and vision system.
The court rejected to arrest the defendants, to continue the ban of leaving the country for them, and to exempt both defendants from the trials. The court decided to wait for the answers to the negotiations previously written to the Chief of General Staff about whether the weapons in the military institutions in that region at that time were in the inventory and adjourned the trial to also October 9, 2023.
Upon the application made by his father, Halit Tekçi, in 1997, regarding Nezir Tekçi’s forced disappearance after being detained in 1995, the military prosecutor’s office launched an investigation and decided non-prosecution. In 2010, after a person named Yunus Şahin stated that he had witnessed the murder of Nezir Tekçi during his military service, a case was opened at Hakkari Heavy Penal Court in 2022 on the charge of ‘deliberate killing with a monstrous motive or with torture and oppression’ against retired Colonel Ali Osman Akın and then lieutenant colonel Kemal Alkan, who were alleged to have given the order, and the case was then transferred to Eskişehir Heavy Penal Court No. 1 for security reasons. Tekçi’s family’s application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) was concluded on December 10, 2022 and the court decided that Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which regulates the right to life, had been violated.
(07/148) ECHR Decision on Newspaper Ban in Prisons…
On July 18, 2023, the ECHR concluded the application regarding the prison administration not providing the newspapers they requested to Abdulmenaf Osman, who was held in Manisa Akhisar F Type Prison, and Mehmet Altunç Altay, who were held in Edirne F Type Prison. In its decision, the ECHR stated that Article 10 of the ECHR, which regulates freedom of expression, was violated and ordered both applicants to be paid 1000 Euros for non-pecuniary damage.
[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.
[2]To subscribe to the e-mail group: please write ‘daily human rights reports subscription application’ to the title of your e-mail and sent it to dokumantasyon@tihv.org.tr.
[3]https://www.facebook.com/TIHV.HRFT
[4] https://twitter.com/insanhaklari
[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.