Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
20 November 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(11/224) Suspicious Death of a Soldier in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that 1 soldier (specialised sergeant Cumhur Tokuş) who got wounded when his personal gun went off, died in hospital on November 18, 2020.
(11/225) Detained Human Rights Defenders, Lawyers and Members of Associations in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a warrant through the investigation against Democratic Society Congress (DTK), for 101 people including human rights defenders, politicians, lawyers; members and executives of trade unions, foundations and associations. It is learned that 72 people are detained in operations covering 4 cities through this investigation.
Names of detained people learned so far are: Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) co-chair lawyer Bünyamin Şeker, Human Rights Association (IHD) Adıyaman branch chair lawyers Bülent Temel, lawyers Abdulkadir Güleç, Eshat Aktaç, Serdar Talay, İmran Gökdere, Diyar Çetedir, Serdar Özer, Feride Laçin, Gamze Yalçın, Gevriye Atlı, Resul Tamur, Cemile Turhallı Balsak, Ahmet Kalpak, Devrim Barış Baran, Neşet Girasun, Sedat Aydın, Mahsum Batı, Şivan Cemil Özen, Haknas Sadak from ÖHD and IHD; Turkish Medical Association (TTB) former central council member and current Honorary Board member doctor Şeyhmus Gökalp, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Diyarbakır Representative Office employee and social worker Serkan Delidere, Med Federation of Legal Support and Solidarity Associations of the Families of Prisoners and Convicts (TUHAD-FED) board member Diyar Dilek Özer and member Leyla Ayaz, Workers’ Union of Religious Affairs Presidency and Foundations (DİVES) member Süleyman Okur, Bağlar Municipality Council member Panayır Çelik, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) former provincial executive İlhami Yürek, Health and Social Service Employees Union (SES) member Ümit Çetiner, Media, Communication and Postal Workers’ Union (HABER-SEN) member Mehmet Kaçar.
(11/226) Police Intervention to Workers’ Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened the press declaration of Bimeks workers at Boğaziçi University campus on November 19, 2020 and detained 5 people (Umut-Sen union spokesperson Betül Celep and organising coordinator Başaran Aksu, and Bimeks workers Bünyamin Bilikci, Leyla Akıncı and Adem Demir) by using physical violence. Bimeks workers who were dismissed without being paid wages and compensation, wanted to protest Vedat Akgiray, owner of the company, who also lectures at the university. It is learned that 5 people were released after statement procedures at the police on the same day.
It is learned that detained and released 5 people were detained once again as they had a second press declaration at the same spot. This was the 13rd time that Bimeks workers had a protest in front of Boğaziçi University and were detained in police intervention.
(11/227) Detained People in Van…
6 people (Turan Sarıgül, Mesut Erzengin, Mehmet Akgün, Mahkum Atdemir, Ramazan Akbaş, Müslim Demir) of 11 people who were detained in Özalp district of Van on November 16, 2020, are arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on November 19, 2020. 5 people are released on judicial control conditions.
(11/228) Detained Person in Urfa…
Şehriban Mimkara, who was detained in Siverek district of Urfa on November 17, 2020 is released by the court on house confinement on November 19, 2020.
(11/229) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against Uğur Koç, former editor in chief; Mustafa Kömüş, former managing editor of website, and grant holder İbrahim Aydın of Birgün daily newspaper, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 2 on November 19, 2020. The case was opened upon criminal complaint of Berat Albayrak, former Minister of Treasury and Finance. The court acquitted journalists.
(11/230) Writer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The first trial of the case against writer Faik Bulut, on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’, which was opened through an investigation against DTK, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 4 on November 19, 2020. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to January 28, 2020.
(11/231) Journalist on Trial in Adıyaman…
The trial of the case against Özgür Boğatekin, news editor of Gerger Fırat newspaper, is held at Adıyaman Heavy Penal Court No 2 on November 19, 2020. Özgür Boğatekin is charged with ‘targeting the public officers who were assigned for anti-terrorism’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, for his social media post. The court decided to consolidate the case with another case against Özgür Boğatekin and adjourned the trial to December 22, 2020.
(11/232) HDP Executive on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final trial of the case against HDP Party Assembly member Eşref Mamedoğlu is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 4 on November 19, 2020.
After defence hearings the court sentenced Eşref Mamedoğlu to 8 years and 9 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and to 10 months and 15 days for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
(11/233) HDP Executive on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final trial of the case against HDP Diyarbakır provincial executive Edip Binbir, through the investigation against DTK, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 9 on November 19, 2020.
Edip Binbir joined the trial from prison via sound and vision system. After defence hearings the court sentenced Edip Binbir to 7 years and 6 months for ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
(11/234) Ban of Events in Van…
Van Governorate made a declaration on November 19, 2020 and announced that, all open-door meetings and demonstrations are banned for 15 days as of November 20, 2020. All events are banned in Van for 1474 days since November 21, 2016.
(11/235) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On November 19, 2020, 28 people are detained in operations covering 3 cities through an Istanbul based investigation.
(11/236) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 123 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 4,542 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on November 19, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 11,943 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 430,170 as of November 19, 2020.
It is learned that 2 health workers (doctor Ali Murat Dilek in Bursa and Osman Bektaş in Erzurum) lost their lives from Covid-19 on November 18, 2020.
It is learned that 2 health workers (Halil İbrahim Kuzu in Balıkesir and Emine Ezen in Bursa) lost their lives from Covid-19 on November 20, 2020.
[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.