Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
24 December 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/220) Operations and Attacks…
It is learned from the news coverage of 24 December 2024 that, 2 militants died in a clash between Turkish Armed Forces units and HPG militants in Metina area of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (IKBY) on 22 August 2024.
(12/221) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment Under Custody in Istanbul…
According to the news coverage of 24 December 2024, Gülistan Dursun, Serpil Ünal, and Pınar Gayıp, who are among the journalists detained and arrested during the police intervention against the press statement to be held at the Şişhane Square in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on 21 December 2024, about the death of 2 journalists (Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin) on 19 December 2024 in Northern and Eastern Syria due to the fire opened from a UCAV, were subjected to violence under custody and were kept in handcuffs behind their backs.
(12/222) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of 23 December 2024 that, 3 prisoners (Yücel Memiş, Serdar Gür and Rohat Ayas) in Aydın Söke T Type Prison were subjected to strip search in prison.
It is learned from the news coverage of 23 December 2024 that, 2 prisoners (Fatma Alökmen and Emine Turan) in Aydın E Type Prison were kept in solitary confinement for 2 weeks after they were taken to this prison on 29 November 2024, and were given only bread for breakfast during this period.
It is learned from the news coverage of 24 December 2024 that, relatives of prisoners were kept waiting for more than 2 hours in Diyarbakır High Security Prison No 2, on the grounds of ward search on 20 December 2024, the day of open visit, and that some prisoners were handcuffed behind their backs and taken to single rooms and were forced to stand for 2 hours without clothes after being strip searched in these rooms. It is also learned that some prisoners were subjected to verbal and physical violence of the correction officers and separate investigations were initiated by the prison administration against prisoners on the grounds of ‘preventing the search’ and ‘shouting slogans’. It is also stated that the requests of relatives of prisoners who were subjected to verbal and physical violence to meet with the prison director about right violations in prison were rejected. Sultan Öcal, wife of Nazım Öcal, one of the prisoners who was subjected to physical violence, stated the following to the press about the events that took place on 20 December 2024 and the rights violations in prison: “The visit would usually be around 10.40, but we were kept waiting for more than 2 hours. When we objected to this and asked ‘why are you keeping us waiting’, we were told ‘There is a search, wait’. Then they let us in. When I asked my husband what happened, he said, ‘They searched the ward. They threw all our belongings on the floor and stepped on them. They took me and the others in my ward to a single cell. There they twisted my arms and squeezed my neck. They beat us there,’ he said. My daughter jumped on her father’s neck. However, my husband had been beaten so much that his neck and arms hurt, so he asked my daughter to be careful while hugging him (…) The items they buy from the canteen are confiscated and thrown away after 1-2 weeks. They don’t light the heating radiators. As relatives of detainees, we reacted to the situation and asked to meet with the prison director, but the director refused to meet with us’.
According to the news coverage of 24 December 2024, political prisoners in Istanbul Bakırköy Women’s Prison were directed to ‘independent wards’ by the prison administration when they wanted to change wards, that prisoners who were recently brought to the prison were subjected to strip searches and were kept in ‘independent wards’ against their will, prisoners were forced to stand during open visits and disciplinary proceedings were initiated and penalties were given to those who sat, books and personal notes of prisoners were seized during ward searches and the seized personal belongings were used as grounds for disciplinary proceedings.
It is learned from the news coverage of 24 December 2024 that, journalists Gülistan Dursun, Pınar Gayıp and Serpil Ünal, who were arrested on 22 December 2024, were subjected to strip search during the entrance procedures of Istanbul Bakırköy Women’s Prison.
It is learned from the news coverage of 24 December 2024 that prisoners in Samsun T Type Prison were forced to stand up for roll-calls.
(12/223) Prevention of Right to Access Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of 23 December 2024 that, Emine Turan, a prisoner in Aydın E Type Prison, was not given the medication she was supposed to take, and that Emine Turan was transferred to Izmir Şakran Women’s Prison, where her medication was again provided too late.
(12/224) Prisoners Whose Release Were Postponed by the Prison Administration and Observation Board…
It is learned from the news coverage of 24 December 2024 that, the release of 7 prisoners (Süreyya Bulut, Dilek Öz, Nibel Genç, Türkan Karadaşlı, Dilan Turan, Dilan Turan, Mekiye Sönük and Dilan Kutlu) in Istanbul Bakırköy Women’s Prison, who have completed the execution of their life sentences, was postponed by a decision of Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK). The duration of the postponement was not available.
(12/225) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan not Responded to…
It is learned that the appeal made on December 24, 2024, to the chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by lawyers in order to visit their clients PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in İmralı Prison was not responded.
(12/226) Student Suspended from Dormitory in Tunceli and Forced to Be a Spy…
According to the news coverage of 23 December 2024, Ahmet Yıldız, a student staying in Tunceli Credit Dormitories Institution (KYK) Male Dormitory, was suspended from the dormitory for 1 month as a result of a disciplinary proceeding initiated by the dormitory administration for participating in the protests in Tunceli against the decision of the Ministry of Interior to dismiss Tunceli co-mayor Cevdet Konak, elected from Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and Tunceli Ovacık mayor Mustafa Sarıgül, elected from Republican People’s Party (CHP), and appoint trustees to replace them on 22 November 2024. It is claimed in the news reports that Ahmet Yıldız was forced to be a police informant by the police and was suspended from the dormitory after he rejected this.
(12/227) Journalist Threatened on Social Media…
It is learned that journalist Öznur Değer, who was following the news in the condolence tent in Midyat district of Mardin on December 22, 2024, for 2 journalists (Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin) who lost their lives due to fire opened from an UCAV while following news reports in Northern and Eastern Syria on December 19, 2024, was targeted and threatened on social media after sharing the video footage of her reacting to a police officer who made sexist remarks to her.
(12/228) Journalist and Others on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against 4 people (journalists Kazım Güleçyüz, Ö.D, E.A. and R.Y.), 3 of whom are arrested, for their social media posts, started on 19 December 2024 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 28. The indictment demands a sentence for 4 people on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. After defence hearings the court ruled for the release of Kazım Güleçyüz, executive editor of Yeni Asya Newspaper and Ö.D., and for the continuation of detention of E.A. and adjourned the trial to 4 March 2025.
(12/229) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The retrial of the case against Mehmet Şahin, writer of Xwebûn newspaper, started on 19 December 2024 at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5. The indictment demands a sentence for the journalist on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to 10 April 2025.
In the final hearing of the case against journalist Mehmet Şahin at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 5 held on 10 February 2022, the court sentenced him to 6 years and 3 months on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’, which was reversed by Penal Department No 9 of Diyarbakır Regional Court of Appeals.
(12/230) The Özgür Gündem Case…
The retrial of the case against Human Rights Association (IHD) Co-Chair Eren Keskin, Hüseyin Aykol, Ayşe Batumlu Kaya and Reyhan Çapan, for the articles published in Özgür Gündem newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, continued on 23 December 2024 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14. The prosecutor declared the final opinion on the case and demanded a sentence for 4 people on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ and acquittal on the charge of ‘ inciting to commit a crime’. The court adjourned the trial to 26 December 2024.
(12/231) The Gezi/Çarşı Case…
The final hearing of the retrial of the case against 35 people, including members of the Beşiktaş fan group ‘Çarşı’, was held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 on 23 December 2024, following the reversal of the acquittal verdict in the case filed due to the Gezi Protests in 2013. The court acquitted 35 people on the charges of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’, ‘establishing and leading an illegal organization’, ‘attempting to overthrow the Republic of Turkey or partially or completely preventing the Republic of Turkey from performing its duties’, ‘resisting to prevent the execution of duty’ and ‘violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No 2911’.
The acquittal verdict of 35 people was overturned by Penal Department No 16 of the Court of Cassation on 18 March 2021.
(12/232) Law Enforcement Officer on Trial for the Killing of Mehmet Uytun…
The retrial of the case against specialized sergeant H.A. in connection with the death of a 16-month-old baby named Mehmet Uytun on 9 October 2009 in the balcony of his house in the Cizre district of Şırnak when he was hit in the head with a gas canister fired by the security forces during the intervention against a protest, on the grounds that the sentence of 3 years and 4 months imprisonment given to him on the charge of ‘causing death by negligence’ was overturned by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of Diyarbakır Regional Court of First Instance, continued on 24 December 2024 at Cizre Penal Court of First Instance No 1. The court rejected the demand for arrest of defendant specialised sergeant H.A. and adjourned the trial to 4 March 2025.
(12/233) Journalist Under Investigation…
It is learned from the news coverage of 23 December 2024 that, Mardin Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation on the charge of ‘insulting a public officer’ against journalist Öznur Değer, who reacted to a police officer who reportedly made sexist remarks against her while she was following news at the condolence tent in the Midyat district of Mardin on 22 December 2024, for 2 journalists (Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin) who lost their lives due to fire opened from an UCAV while they were following news reports in Northern and Eastern Syria on 19 December 2024.
(12/234) Journalist Under Investigation…
It is learned from the news coverage of 23 December 2024 that, Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against journalist Medine Mamedoğlu, on the grounds of ‘provoking the public to disobey the law’, for sharing the footage of police officers detaining a child under torture and ill-treatment on social media; and that the journalist gave her official statement at Diyarbakır Provincial Security Directorate through the investigation.
[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.