Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
22 April 2026 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/163) Individuals Subjected to Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Van…
According to news reports published on April 22, 2026, three individuals—Fatih Değer, İsmail Değer, and Diyar Değer—were detained following an altercation with plainclothes police officers in the Başkale district of Van, whom they believed had violated traffic regulations. It was reported that while in custody at the Başkale District Police Department, they were subjected to physical violence and sustained injuries in various parts of their bodies.
(04/164) Mayor and Others Detained in Istanbul…
Among the 20 people detained on April 18, 2026, were 19 individuals, including Onursal Adıgüzel, the Mayor of the Ataşehir district of Istanbul ’s Ataşehir District Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel, were arrested on April 22, 2026, by the magistrate’s court on charges of “bribery,” “tampering with a tender,” and “forming an organization to commit a crime,” while one person was released under judicial supervision.
(04/165) Individuals Detained in Istanbul…
On April 20, 2026, during a police raid on the İdil Cultural Center in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı district, 5 people (Can Kaba, Barış Yüksel, Vedat Doğan, Mehmet Tunçay, and Merve Demirel), and on April 21, 2026, 12 people (Busenur Öztürk, Muammer Kaya, Dilan Poyraz, Fatma Yıldırım, Cengiz Özpınar, Gamze Eroğlu, Mehmet Güvel, Cem Dursun, Sevcan Akdoğan, Beyza Gülmen, Yeliz Kütük, and Tacettin Erol Şahin) were detained during home raids.
(04/166) Person Arrested in Antalya…
A.A., a person detained in the Alanya district of Antalya on the grounds of social media posts, was detained on April 22, 2026, by the magistrate’s court to which he was referred, on charges of “insulting the President” and “inciting the public to hatred and hostility.”
(04/167) Trial of a Journalist in Istanbul…
Following the Constitutional Court’s (AYM) ruling that the 1 year and 3-month prison sentence imposed on journalist Neşe İdil in the case filed at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 22 on the charge of “making organization propaganda” constituted a violation, the retrial of the case began. The final hearing of the case took place on April 22, 2026. The court once again sentenced the journalist to 1 year and 3 months in prison.
(04/168) The Trial of Union Members in Ankara…
The trial of 15 members of the Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions (KESK), which was initiated at the Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 6, continued on April 21, 2026. The indictment seeks to punish the 15 individuals for the crimes of “being a member of an organization” and “propagandizing for an organization.” The court adjourned the hearing to April 27, 2026.
(04/169) Person on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing in the case filed against Murat Övüç at the Istanbul Küçükçekmece Criminal Court of First Instance No. 5 was held on April 22, 2026, on the grounds of a social media post. The court sentenced Murat Övüç to 11 months in prison for the crime of “publicly insulting religious values embraced by a segment of the public.”
Murat Övüç was arrested on December 20, 2025, and was released at the hearing held on April 1, 2026.
(04/170) Mayor Removed from Office…
Yılmaz Tozan, the mayor of Eşme district in Uşak, who was arrested on April 21, 2026, was removed from office by the Ministry of the Interior on April 22, 2026.
(04/171) Cultural Center Raided by Police in Istanbul…
On April 20, 2026, the İdil Cultural Center in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı district was raided by police. It was reported that musical instruments at the cultural center were damaged during the search.
[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.