Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
23 February 2021 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/297) Abducted Person in Tokat…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 22, 2021 that, Ali Rıza Çalpar (26) was abducted by anonymous persons in Kınık town of Almus district of Tokat on February 5, 2021 and was subjected to torture and ill-treatment. It is reported that Ali Rıza Çalpar was released near Almus Dam on the same day.
Ali Rıza Çalpar stated the following: “I departed on foot from Şendere street of Gevrek neighbourhood in Kınık town of Almus district of Tokat towards Görümlü town. A white car (Renault Kangoo model) stopped by me while I was on my way. (…) 3 persons with black face masks got off the car and attacked me. One of them was squeezing my neck to bend my head and pushing me to the car while others were holding my arms and trying to put me in the car. I pushed by feet to the back seats to resist but I felt a burning in my neck and lost consciousness (…) When I gain consciousness back I found myself blindfold, with tied arms and naked upper body, walking on a snowy ground in between two persons holding my arms. I asked, ‘Who are you, where did you take me?’. One of them said, ‘We will ask a few questions and release you immediately in case you respond us correctly. Otherwise we will bring your family here and kill all of you, nobody will know’. After a few minutes of walking I realized that we went into a closed place because of the noise of a door opening and slowing down of the wind. They made me sit on something which I though was a chair. (…) They said ‘Tell us the truth, we will not release you if you don’t. There is nobody else apart from us here, there is JITEM (gendarmerie intelligence organisation), there is the ones who represent the state custom of thousand years, now talk’ and started to kick my stomach. (…) They fastened me to the chair with a thin barbed wire wrapping over my stomach. The wire was pricking as I take deep breaths. Then they asked me some names, and when I said that I did not know them, they started to drip a melted substance on my arms, which I suppose was plastic. They kept dripping it on my arms and shoulders while at the same time telling that they would riddle me with holes if I would not talk. (…) They tightened the wire on my stomach and dripped melted plastic again. They poured cold water on me and then I felt pain in my neck. I do not remember the rest. When I got my consciousness back I found myself left near the Almus Dam, close to Karadere bridge. I was wearing my sweater but my undershirt and coat were not on me. My wallet, money, identity cards and bank cards were all in my coat, and they did not leave any of them. I filed a criminal report to Almus Gendarmerie Station.”
(02/298) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage pf February 22, 2021 that, 13 prisoners in Mardin E Type Prison are transferred under coercion to prisons in Urfa and Diyarbakır. Transferred prisoners are: İlhan Dayan, Selman Acet, Sabri Kömürcü, Adem Irmak, Beşir Dal, Agit Öcal, Bayram Demirhan, Ersin Çiçek, Ebubekir Koç, Abdullah Erez, Ali Aslan, Mahzun Geçgin and Umut Deniz Ertem.
(02/299) Police Intervention to an Exhibition in Istanbul…
The police prevented the photograph exhibition “8 March – resisting women”, organized by Avcılar Women Platform as a part of 8 March International Women’s Day, in Istanbul on February 22, 2021. The women organizing the exhibition were circled by the police, subjected to physical violence of the police and held a sit-in protest there.
(02/300) Police Intervention to HDP Protest in Van…
The police prevented the press declaration of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) as a part of “Justice for All” campaign, which was to be held at Kapıköy border gate in Saray district of Van on February 22, 2021. The group including HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan held the press declaration at the point they were stopped by the police. It is learned that the police prevented journalist from recording the event.
(02/301) Detained People for Protests Against New Rector Appointment to Boğaziçi University…
On February 21, 2021, 2 people were detained in Istanbul, on the grounds of participating in the protests against new rector appointment to Boğaziçi University and of distributing the letter of Şilan Delipalta, who was arrested in these protests. 2 people are released on house confinement by the court on the charges of ‘insulting the President’ and ‘provoking hatred and hostility among public’, on February 22, 2021.
(02/302) Detained HDP Members in Manisa…
3 of 7 members of HDP Youth Assembly (Zahir Aslan, Hamza Aslan and Ahmet Aslan) who were detained in house raids in Manisa on February 15, 2021, are arrested by the court on February 22, 2021. 4 people (Aleyna Tekin, Mahsun Silinsin, Sultan Aslan, Mehmet Emin Polat) are released on judicial control conditions.
(02/303) DTK Member on Trial…
The final trial of the case against Jiyan Taş, a board member of Democratic Society Congress (DTK), is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 10 on February 22, 2021.
The court sentenced Jiyan Taş to 6 years and 3 months on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
(02/304) Co-Mayor on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final trial of the case against Filiz Buluttekin, HDP co-mayor of Sur district of Diyarbakır, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 11 on February 22, 2021.
The court sentenced Filiz Buluttekin to 7 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
Filiz Buluttekin was detained on December 20, 2019 and was arrested by the court on December 23, 2019. Sur district sub-governor Abdullah Çiftçi was appointed as a trustee by Ministry of Interior on December 22, 2019.
(02/305) CHP Executive on Trial in Aydın…
The final trial of the case against Ayşe Özdemir, provincial women’s branch chair of Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Aydın, is held at Aydın Penal Court of First Instance No 8 on February 22, 2021. Ayşe Özdemir is charged for the lyrics of “Las Tesis”, a dance performance against violence against women, which was shown at provincial congress of CHP on February 9, 2019. The court sentenced Ayşe Özdemir to 11 months and 20 days on the charge of ‘insulting the President’.
(02/306) Curfew in Mazıdağı…
Mardin Governorate made a declaration on February 22, 2021 and announced curfew in 6 rural neighbourhoods of Mazıdağı district as of 06.00 on February 22, 2021 until a further notice. Mardin Governorate lifted the curfew as of 22.30 on February 22, 2021.
The rural neighbourhoods under curfew were: Meşeli, Yalınağaç Ürünlü, Yevri, Armağan, Konur, Kocaköy.
(02/307) Curfew in Derik…
Mardin Governorate made a declaration on February 22, 2021 and announced curfew in 6 rural neighbourhoods of Derik district as of 06.00 on February 22, 2021 until a further notice. Mardin Governorate lifted the curfew as of 22.30 on February 22, 2021.
The rural neighbourhoods under curfew were: Çayköy, Bozok, Kelek, Gündik, Harmanlı, Giriktepe.
(02/308) Curfew in Kızıltepe…
Mardin Governorate made a declaration on February 22, 2021 and announced curfew in 4 rural neighbourhoods of Kızıltepe district as of 06.00 on February 22, 2021 until a further notice. Mardin Governorate lifted the curfew as of 22.30 on February 22, 2021.
The rural neighbourhoods under curfew were: Akçapınar Gürmeşe, Çimenlik, Örencik, Doğanlı.
(02/309) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 78 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 623 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on February 22, 2021. It is also declared that the daily number of Covid-19 case is 8,104.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 28,138 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 2,646,526 as of February 22, 2021.
[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.