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20 October 2020 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]

20 October 2020 Daily Human Rights Report

(10/248) Allegation of Forced Disappearance in Istanbul…

It is learned that no news was received from Bahtiyar Fırat since October 14, 2020, who went to Istanbul Airport to depart for Iran on that day.

Esra Fırat, spouse of Bahtiyar Fırat, stated the following: “My husband went to Istanbul Airport to take the flight to Tahran at 01.15 with flight number TK 0878. After he went through passport check and while he was waiting for the flight, police officers have come near him. The police have told him, ‘You are under custody, we will take you to the intelligence service’. They made him wait at the airport for 3 hours. During that waiting, the plane has already left the airport, and the police have told him ‘it was a misunderstanding, you can go now’ and released him. My husband called me as soon as he gets a taxi to get back to home. He said, ‘I got on a taxi now. There are four cars surrounding the taxi. They are following me. I am circled by four cars, two of them are on both sides, one is before and the other is behind us. They did this to make me miss the flight. The intelligence service interrogated me. If you cannot hear from me, go to the prosecutor’ (…) I know that they have my husband. Because we went to the prosecutor’s office and the prosecutor told the lawyers that National Intelligence Service may have him, and that they would release him and we should be patient.”

It is learned from the news coverage that an investigation is to be initiated by the prosecutor’s office.

(10/249) Suspicious Death of a Prisoner…

It is learned from the news coverage of October 19, 2020 that, Serkan Tumay (27), a prisoner in Kırıkkale F Type Prison lost his life on October 17, 2020. It is stated in the news reports that Serkan Tumay has been subjected to physical violence and that caused his death.

Hakan Tumay, his brother, stated the following: “My brother has said ‘my life is not secured’ while we were talking earlier. We made a criminal complaint to Manisa Public Prosecutor’s Office lastly, and they said they would be concerned with that. My brother was sharing a 3 persons’ ward with one prisoner, and this person has lately said ‘The wardens are beating your brother’. My brother’s arm was broken and there were several fractures on his body due to being beaten. They took him to a hospital following our complaints and applications. And then they separated my brother with his ward-mate because he was giving information to us. They put my brother alone in a ward. Yesterday, prison administration has reached my mother, saying ‘come and get your funeral’. It is stated as ‘ordinary forensic death’.”

It is learned that an investigation was initiated by Kırıkkale Public Prosecutor’s Office and the surveillance camera footage will be inspected.

(10/250) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of October 19, 2020 that, Mazlum Güzel who was transferred from Şırnak Prison to Antep Islahiye Prison under coercion on September 25, 2020 was subjected to physical violence of the wardens during transfer. It is also reported that Mazlum Güzel was put in a solitary quarantine cell, and he was subjected to verbal violence of the wardens for he rejects to stand up during roll-calls, he was not given cleaning supplies to be protected form Covid-19 pandemic, his needs from prison commissary was not met and he was kept in the quarantine cell although it has been over 14 days. It is learned that his lawyers made a criminal complaint against the wardens on duty. Mazlum Güzel stated the following through his lawyers: “I have been beaten for minutes by 3 wardens in Şırnak Prison. The wardens were saying ‘You will see the power of the state. We will teach you what the state is. You are terrorists’, threatening and insulting me while they were beating.”

(10/251) Police Intervention to a Protest in Karaman…

The gendarmerie prevented the mine workers who want to march from Güneyyurt town of Ermenek district of Karaman to Ankara for their rights to compensation on October 19, 2020. It is learned that mine workers started a sit-in protest. It is reported that workers were not allowed to set up tents and to sleep in the park at night, on the grounds of ‘disturbing public order’.

(10/252) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…

The police intervened the press declaration which was made within the scope of “I Want My Job Back Protest” going on for 1441 days in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on October 19, 2020 at 13.30 and 18.00 and forced people away from the monument by using physical violence.

(10/253) Detained SGDF Members in Ankara…

Yücel Yavuz and Devrim Taylan Eryılmaz, members of Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) who were detained in Ankara on October 16, 2020, are arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on October 19, 2020.

(10/254) Detained Newspaper Distributor in Van…

Mikail Tunçdemir, former distributor of Yeni Yaşam newspaper is detained at Van Provincial Security Directorate where he went to give official statement on October 19, 2020. Mikail Tunçdemir is released on October 20, 2020.

(10/255) Detained People in Şırnak…

Nebi Uysal, Mahmut Belge and Hasan Belge, 3 of 6 people who were detained in Şırnak on October 18, 2020 are released after statement procedures on October 19, 2020. It is reported that 3 people (Cihat Basan, Zişan Basan, Dilan Basan) are still under custody.

(10/256) Investigation Against Co-Mayor…

On October 19, 2020 Mardin co-mayor Ahmet Türk who was suspended and replaced by a trustee, gave his official statement through the investigation on Kobanê protests in 2014. Ahmet Türk gave his statement to Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office via sound and vision system, and he was then referred to Ankara Penal Court of Peace No 5 demanding judicial control conditions on the charge of ‘disturbing unity and integrity of the state’. Ahmet Türk is released by the court with a ban on leaving the country.

(10/257) Police Officer on Trial in Istanbul…

The trial of the case against police officer Murat A., on the grounds of hitting and breaking the back of lawyer Zeycan Balcı, during a press declaration on March 30, 2016 in front of Istanbul Court House, is held on Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 22 on October 19, 2020.

The indictment demands sentence for Murat A. on the charges of ‘injury’, ‘intentional injury that cause bone fracture’, ‘extensive use of force’. It is stated in the expert report that “It is understood that, during the intervention by the prosecutor’s order against lawyers of Istanbul Bar Association having a sit-in protest in front of Istanbul Courthouse, suspect police officer M. A. excessed the limit of using force and kicked Balcı, and injured her to cause bone fracture”.

The defendant police officer accepted that the person circled in the photograph submitted in the expert’s report was himself. The court decided to re-hear witness İsmail Güvendiren and adjourned the trial to December 28, 2020.

(10/258) Dismissal of Judges and Prosecutors…

It is learned from the news coverage of October 19, 2020 that, 11 judges and prosecutors are dismissed from their duties by the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, on the grounds of ‘having connection and cohesion with an illegal organisation’.

(10/259) Covid-19 Pandemic…

Ministry of Health declared that 75 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,958 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on October 19, 2020.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 9,371 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 349,519 as of October 19, 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.

[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.