19-20 April 2016 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/100) Curfew in Yüksekova…
Curfew and operations in Yüksekova district of Hakkari reached 38th day as of 20 April 2016.
The bosy of Yusuf Aşan’ın (46) who was shot to death in front of his house in Orman quarter and transferred to Erzurum was identified on 14 April 2016 by his family. (correction of the news 04/086 on 15 April 2016)
(04/101) Operations and Attacks in the Southeast…
According to the news appeared in the press on 18 April 2016, one of the persons killed during the operations in Sur district of Diyarbakır was identified as YPS member Miraz Başak (Mordem Cotkan).
YPS General Coordination announced on 18 April 2016 that YPS member Metin Ak (Herekol) was killed during the clashes on 13 April 2016 in Nusaybin district of Mardin, YPS members Zaman Kılınç (Zana), Cemil Külter Mehmet Sait Külter were killed during the clashes on 15 April 2016 in Şırnak.
YPS also announced that Serhat Akpolat (Dewran Zilan) was killed on 10 April 2016 during the clashes in Şırnak. YPS member Mehmet Gül (Sefkan) was also killed on 18 April 2016.
1 gendarmerie solider was killed during an armed attack on 18 April 2016 in Nusaybin district of Mardin.
Security Forces reportedly opened fire against a group of YPS members who attempted to pass the border from Nusaybin to Rojava on 17 April 2016. 18 YPS militants were allegedly killed during the incident. 4 YPS members were identified as Kamuran Kavak, Yunus Elif, Şiyar Tarlak, and Barış Erdem.
1 police officer and 1 militant were killed, 1 police officer was wounded during the alleged armed clash that broke out during a house raid on 18 April 2016 in Van.
The police also raided another house after the clash and shot pregnant Remziye Bor at neck and chest who was alone at home. Remziye Bor was hospitalised and her health condition was reported critical.
3 militants were killed and 1 temporary village guard was wounded during an armed clash that broke out on 18 April 2016 nearby Gözertepe village of Genç district in Bingöl.
1 police officer who wounded during an amred clash on 1 April 2016 in Nusaybin district of Mardin died on 19 April 2016 in hospital in Ankara.
2 gendarmerie soldiers were killed and 6 soldiers were wounded during an armed clash on 19 April 2016 in Bahçelievler quarter of Şırnak.
2 persons who were killed during the operations in Yüksekova district of Hakkari and transferred to Erzurum for identification were identified on 19 April 2016 as Nadir Güneç (Bawer Pir) and Seracettin Menafoğlu (Çawreş Gever) by their families.
According to the news appeared in the press, the bodies of 15 YPS members who were killed during the clashes in Yüksekova district of Hakkari were also transferred to Erzurum on 18 and 19 April 2016. The number of bodies transferred to Erzurum for identification reportedly reached 70. 15 bodies were identified and taken by their families.
The body of YPS member İsa Yılmaz who was killed during clashes in Şırnak was identified on 19 April 2016 by his family.
(04/102) Extra-judicial Killing in Şanlıurfa
Hîto Salih (40) was shot to death and Mihemed Reşîd Xelîl was heavily wounded when military troops opened fire on the grounds that they did not obey the stop warning while trying to pass the border from of Rojava to Suruç district of Şanlıurfa province in Turkey.
(04/103) Rockets Launched from Syria to Kilis…
5 Syrians including 4 children were killed when a rocket was launched from Syria to Kilis province on 18 Aril 2016 by IS/ISIS. 5 persons were also wounded during the attack.
(04/104) Hrant Dink Case…
Çağlayan (İstanbul) Heavy Penal Court No 14 started to hear the case against 34 persons including 8 remanded defendants in connection with the killing of Hrant Dink. 2nd Penal Chamber at the Court of Cassation ruled on 26 January 2016 the case against 26 public officers to be combined with the main case.
After the testimonies of the present defendants, the court decided to release the defendants Police Chief Özkan Mumcu and police officer Muhittin Zenit to be tried without remand and adjourned the hearing to 24 May 2016.
(04/105) Ali İsmail Korkmaz Case…
Kayseri Heavy Penal Court No 3 started on 18 April 2016 to hear the retrial of 5 persons (all remanded including one police officer) and 3 police officers without remand on charges of killing Ali İsmail Korkmaz (19).
On 5 February 2016, 1st Penal Chamber at the Court of Cassation quashed the verdict in Ali İsmail Korkmaz Case on grounds of procedural flaws for not taking the final defence. During the Gezi Park demonstrations in Eskişehir on 3 June 2013, Ali İsmail Korkmaz was beaten with sticks by unidentified persons when he was escaping from police violence. He died one month later on 10 July 2013.
On 21 January 2015, Kayseri Heavy Penal Court No 3 concluded to hear the case against 5 persons (all remanded including one police officer) and 3 police officers without remand on charges of killing Ali İsmail Korkmaz (19). The case was transferred to Kayseri from Eskişehir for security reasons.
After the final defence as to the accusations, the court sentenced the defendants to the same terms of imprisonment and gave the same decision. But the court also decided to release civilian defendants İsmail Koyuncu, Ramazan Koyuncu and Muhammet Vatansever.
During the previous trial, the court sentenced police officer Mevlut Saldoğan to 13 years’ imprisonment for “killing someone by intentional wounding” and reduced the sentence to 10 years and 10 months for the good conduct of the defendant.
The police officers Şaban Gökpınar and Hüseyin Engin who were on trial without remand were acquitted.
The court sentenced the police officer Yalçın Akbulut who was on trial without remand to 12 years’ imprisonment, reduced the sentence to 10 years.
The remanded civilian defendants İsmail Koyuncu, Ramazan Koyuncu, Muhammet Vatansever were sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment, but the sentences were reduced to 6 years and 8 months.
The remaining civilian defendant Ebubekir Harlar was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months’ imprisonment and released relying on the term he stayed in prison during trial.
(04/106) Pressures in Prisons…
According to the news appeared in the press on 18 April 2016, Zeliha Karınca, Elif Ezgi Karadoğan, Hasret Alp and Vildan Sol who were arrested after the operations conducted following the 8 March Women’s Day demonstrations were transferred from Adıyaman E-type Prison to Tarsus (Mersin) C-type Prison without their demands.
According to the news appeared in the press on 19 April 2016, 20 prisoners incarcerated in Diyarbakır D-type Prison were also transferred to prisons varying provinces.
(04/107) Journalist Acquitted in the Case of Insulting State President…
Çağlayan (İstanbul) Penal Court of First Instance No 2 concluded on 19 April 2016 to hear the case against Arif Koşar, publisher of the daily Evrensel, and managing director of the paper Vural Nasuhbeyoğlu launched in connection with the news appeared in the paper concerning the killing of Ali İsmail Korkmaz.
After the final defence as to the accusations, the court acquitted the defendants on the grounds that the elements of crime were not materialised. The indictment wants the defendants to be sentenced according to the Article 299 TPC for “insulting the State President”. At the previous hearing the defendants testified to the effect that they would have committed crime by not making the news.
(04/108) Persons on the Trial on the Allegations of Insulting the State President…
According to the news appeared in the press on 18 April 2016, a court case was launched against academics in Mersin University Hakan Mertcan, Mustafa Şener and Selim Çakmaklı on the allegations of “insulting the State President” and “insulting public officers” through facebook posts:
Mersin Penal Court of First Instance No 11 will start to hear the case on 6 September 2016.
(04/109) 1 May Celebrations…
The police detained 11 activists of Socialist Youth Association (Sosyalist Gençlik Derneği) when they were distributing leaflets on 19 April 2016 in Beşiktaş district of İstanbul for 1 May celebrations.
(04/110) KCK Trial in Hakari…
Hakkari Heavy Penal Court continued on 19 April 2016 to hear the case against 20 persons including Co-Mayor in Hakkari province Nurullah Çiftçi launched after a KCK operation conducted in 2011 in Hakkari.
After the testimonies of the defendants, the court adjourned the hearing to 17 May 2016 for the continuation of the defence.
(04/111) Mayor, Municipality and Political Party Executives on Trial for Self-Governance Declaration…
Erciş (Van) Heavy Penal Court started on 19 April 2016 to hear the case against 20 persons including Erciş Co-Mayor Diba Keskin launched on charges of ““disrupting the unity and territorial integrity of the state”. Diba Keskin was arrested on 15 October 2015 for “taking part in the declaration of self-governance” and transferred to Sincan (Ankara) Women’s Prison. She was suspended from duty on 28 October 2015 by the Ministry of Interior Affairs. 11 defendants are remanded in this case.
After the testimonies of the present defendants, the court decided for the continuation of the arrest of the remanded defendants and adjourned the hearing to 26 May 2016 to take the testimonies of the defendants in several prisons through SEGBİS teleconference system.
(04/112) Person on Trial in Mersin…
Mersin Heavy Penal Court No 2 continued on 18 April 2016 to hear the case against KJA member Bilmez Cengiz who was detained in Mersin and arrested on 7 January 2016. The indictment wants the defendant to be sentenced for “being member of an illegal organisation” and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation”.
After the defence of the lawyers, the court decided to release Bilmez Cengiz to be tried without remand and adjourned the hearing to 27 June 2016.
(04/113) Detentions and Arrests…
On 18 April 2016, Special Forces raided Saxnis village of Karlıova district in Bingöl and detained 12 persons including the headman of the village. Harun Aşit, Deniz Ay, Mehmet Altun and Ferazzeddin Ayak who were among the detainees were arrested on the same day on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
During the operations and raids conducted by the Security Forces on 19 April 2016, 10 persons in Viranşehir district of Şanlıurfa, 4 persons including Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) executives in Nizip district of Gaziantep were detained.
6 persons including Dicle News Agency (DİHA) correspondent Muhammed Doğru who were among 11 persons detained during operations in Sakarya province were arrested on 19 April 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
Ali Sümbül and Hekim Yorga who were among 4 persons detained during operations in Şırnak were arrested on 18 April 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
Serdar Gün who was among 3 persons detained during operations in Cizre district of Şırnak were arrested on 19 April 2016 on the allegations of “being member of an illegal organisation”.
Former HDP Chair for Sultanhisar district in Aydın province Tekin Akdemir was arrested on 19 April 2016 in Nazilli district of Aydın on the grounds that there was an arrest warrant issued against him.