Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
22 October 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(10/139) Prisoners Whose Release Has Been Adjourned by the Prison Administration and Observation Board…
According to news reports on October 21, 2025, it was learned that the release of Sermin Demirdağ, an inmate held at the Ankara Sincan Women’s Prison who completed her life sentence on March 7, 2023, was adjourned for 12 months by the Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK) on the grounds that she “participated in acts constituting disciplinary offenses.” Sermin Demirdağ’s release had previously been adjourned a total of 33 months on six separate occasions by CİGK decisions.
(10/140) People Attacked While Distributing Leaflets in Ankara…
On October 21, 2025, it was learned that a group distributing leaflets at Ankara University’s Faculty of Language, History, and Geography was attacked by another racist group. Police intervened against students who gathered to protest the attack and detained nine people.
(10/141) Members of a Political Party Detained in Diyarbakır…
On October 18, 2025, at least 8 members of the Youth Assembly of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) were detained during house raids in Diyarbakır on October 21, 2025, on the grounds of a march held in Diyarbakır. It was learned that a 24-hour restriction on access to lawyers was imposed in relation to the investigation.
(10/142) Trial of a Journalist in Mardin…
The final hearing of the case against JINNEWS News Director Öznur Değer, which was opened at the Mardin 2nd Heavy Penal Court No. 2 on the grounds of social media posts, was held on October 21, 2025.
The court sentenced Öznur Değer to 3 years, 4 months, and 15 days in prison for “making organization propaganda.”
Öznur Değer was arrested on February 7, 2025, and was released at the first hearing of the case on May 22, 2025.
(10/143) Trial of Journalist in Ankara…
The final hearing in the case against T24 reporter Asuman Aranca, brought before the Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance No. 52 on the grounds of her reporting on the murder of former Ülkü Ocakları President Sinan Ateş, was held on October 21, 2025.
The court sentenced the journalist to 10 months in prison for “violating confidentiality” and postponed the announcement of the verdict.
(10/144) Trial of Human Rights Defender and Others in Istanbul…
The trial of six individuals, including Nihat Göktaş, a member of the Human Rights Association, two of whom are in custody, on charges of sending money to prisoners in jail, began on October 21, 2025, at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 13. The indictment seeks to punish the six individuals for the crime of “providing financial support to an organization.”
The court decided to continue the detention of Emre Altun and Mehmet Arslan and the judicial control measures for the other individuals, adjourned the hearing until December 10, 2025.
Emre Altun and Mehmet Arslan were arrested on May 9, 2025, while Nihat Göktaş was placed under house arrest as a judicial control measure.
(10/145) Trial of LGBT+ Activists in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the case brought before the Istanbul Anatolia Criminal Court of First Instance No. 67 against two LGBT+ activists for participating in the 10th Trans Pride March held in Istanbul on June 23, 2024, was held on October 21, 2025. The court acquitted the two individuals of the charge of “violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.”
(10/146) Indictment Prepared Against Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Managers…
The indictment prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against 14 people, 5 of whom are in custody, on the grounds of concerts held between 2021 and 2024, was accepted by the Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 34 on October 21, 2025. The indictment seeks punishment for the 14 individuals for the crime of “embezzlement.”
Five individuals were arrested on September 27, 2025.
(10/147) The Egyptian Bazaar Case…
On July 9, 1998, an explosion at the Egyptian Bazaar in the Eminönü district of Istanbul resulted in the deaths of seven people and injuries to 127 others. Following the overturning of the acquittal of sociologist Pınar Selek in the case, the retrial continued at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 on October 21, 2025. The court adjourned the hearing until April 2, 2026.
Following the overturning of the acquittal decision issued on June 8, 2006, in the case against Pınar Selek on charges of “membership in an organization” based on the statements of Abdülmecit Öztürk, the case began to be retried at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 12. On May 23, 2008, Pınar Selek was acquitted again, but the Criminal Chamber No. 9 of the Court of Cassation overturned this decision as well. The case was then retried at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 12, which acquitted Selek once more on February 9, 2011. After this decision was also overturned, Pınar Selek was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on January 24, 2013. After the Criminal Chamber No. 9 of the Court of Cassation overturned the aggravated life sentence, the case was retried at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15, and Pınar Selek was acquitted for the fourth time. However, this acquittal was also overturned on June 21, 2022.
(10/148) Security Officer on Trial for the Death of Mehmet Uytun…
In the case against Sergeant H.A. regarding the death of 16-month-old Mehmet Uytun, who was struck in the head by a tear gas canister fired by security forces intervening in a protest while he was on the balcony of his home in Cizre, Şırnak, on October 9, 2009, Following the overturning of the 3-year and 4-month prison sentence for “causing death by negligence” by the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Appeals Criminal Chamber 3, the retrial of the case at the Cizre Criminal Court of First Instance 1 continued on October 21, 2025.
The court rejected the request to arrest the defendant, Sergeant H.A., and adjourned the hearing until January 20, 2026.
(10/149) Internet Content Subject to Access Restrictions …
According to the news reports on October 21, 2025, it was learnt that acess to 3 news articles on the websites https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/, https://www.zhaber.com.tr/, https://www.evrensel.net/ regarding the discovery of the body of a 16-year-old girl in a water well in the Çaycuma district of Zonguldak have been restricted accordiing to Article 8/A of Law No. 5651 on the grounds of “protecting national security and public order.”
[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.