Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
25 December 2019 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/270) Physical Assault to CHP Provincial Chair in Siirt…
It is learned that Republican People’s Party (CHP) Siirt provincial chair Nevaf Bilek is subjected to physical assault of a group in Eruh district on December 24, 2019 and got wounded. IT is reported that 6 people are detained related to assault.
(12/271) Journalists Subjected to Torture and Ill-Treatment Under Custody and in Prison in Izmir…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 24, 2019 that arrested journalists Melike Aydın and Ruken Demir had a meeting with Ülkü Şahin, lawyer of Journalists Union of Turkey and told how they have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody and in prison. Ruken Demir and Melike Aydın were detained on November 12, 2019 and were arrested on the charge of ‘having activities for an illegal organisation’ on November 16, 2019. It is learned that Melike Aydın and Ruken Demir were handcuffed behind their backs and were subjected to physical violence of the police during detention; and the doctor at Alsancak Public Hospital where they were taken for forensic examination, said “if you did not resist ‘my lions’ would not due it to you”. It is also learned that the police forced Ruken Demir to strip search and threatened her as saying “if you do not let us search you at home, you will be searched by four police officer in custody room”; and that Melike Aydın was subjected to strip search in prison. It is reported that Demir and Aydın were forced to police informants, and were subjected to verbal violence of the wardens in prison.
(12/272) Torture and Ill-Treatment Under Custody in Mardin…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 24, 2019 that 8 people (Sercan Dölek, Vedat Belgin, Halil Belgin, Nezir Demir, Aydın Özdorak, Bedrettin Özge, Sinan Danış and Ahmet Yapıcı) who were detained on December 20, 2019 in Çayköy village of Derik district of Mardin, and were released on judicial control conditions on December 24, 2019, were subjected to physical violence under custody at Mardin Gendarmerie Command.
(12/273) People Were Subjected to Physical Violence of Soldiers and Police in Bingöl…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 24, 2019 that soldiers and special task police force raided Burmataş hamlet of Hasanova village in Karlıova district of Bingöl on December 21, 2019, and searched all 15 houses where personal belongings of villagers have been damaged. It is learned that house of Zeki Sayak, a villager, was dug for a claimed underground shelter, and people who reject to it were subjected to physical violence of soldiers and police, and some people’s cell phones were seized.
(12/274) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 24, 2019 that, prisoners in Izmir Şakran Women’s Closed Prison were not referred to hospitals for treatment, letters were not sent and given, their personal belongings were being scattered during ward searches, and prisoners were not given Yeni Yaşam, Evrensel and Birgün newspapers.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 24, 2019 that, prisoners in Antep L Type Prison were threatened by wardens, letters were not sent and given, 10 prisoners were kept in wards for 6 people, prisoners were taken to infirmary only once in two weeks and their medications are given with delay, prisoners were forced to walk in line as military order while being taken to infirmary, hospital or family visits.
(12/275) Police Intervention Against “I Want My Job Back” Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of public labourers who had been dismissed by a state of emergency decree and have been struggling 1141 days to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on December 24, 2019 at 13.30, and at 18.00.
It was reported that during police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on December 24, 2019, 2 people (Mehmet Dersulu and Mahmut Konuk) and at 18.00 2 people (Nazan Bozkurt and Mehmet Dersulu) were detained.
Thus in total 4 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on December 24, 2019. It is learned detained people were released on the same days they were detained.
(12/276) Detained Political Party Executive in Mardin…
It is learned that Hasibe Mengirkaon, Mardin co-chair of Democratic Regions Party (DBP) is detained at Mardin Security Directorate where she went for an official statement on December 24, 2019.
(12/277) Detained University Students in Ankara…
It is learned that 8 people are detained in Ankara University Cebeci Campus, for they reacted against Youth Union of Turkey (TGB) members who make a press declaration targeting women and “Las Tesis” dance protest organisation planned for the next day. The names of detained people are: Leylanur Mavili, Esmanur Çağlak, Öykü Berre Özkan, Nazlı İkra Öztay, Nisan Çıra, Zeynep Kurt.
(12/278) Gezi Case…
The trial of the case against Osman Kavala, Yiğit Aksakoğlu, Ali Hakan Altınay, Ayşe Mücella Yapıcı, Ayşe Pınar Alabora, Can Dündar, Çiğdem Mater Utku, Gökçe Yılmaz, Handan Meltem Arıkan, Hanzade Hikmet Germiyanoğlu, İnanç Ekmekçi, Mehmet Ali Alabora, Mine Özerden, Şerafettin Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi, for Gezi Park protests in 2013, is held on December 24, 2019.
The indictment demands heavy life imprisonment for 16 people on the charge of ‘attempting to abolish the government of the Republic of Turkey or to prevent it from fulfilling its duties’. The indictment also demands sentence for defendants on the charges of ‘qualified damage to property’, ‘possession or exchange of hazardous substances without permission’, ‘damaging places of worship and cemeteries’, ‘qualified robbery’, ‘injury’, ‘opposition to Law on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property No 2863’, and ‘opposition to Law for the Firearms and Knives and Other Tools No 6136’.
It is learned that the court accepted demands of Ministry of Treasury and Mevlüt Saldoğan, who is charged for killing Ali İsmail Korkmaz during Gezi Park protests, to join the trials as the injured parties. The court decided to continue detention of Osman Kavala, despite of ECHR decision which rules immediate acquittal and adjourned the trial to January 28, 2020.
Business person Osman Kavala was arrested on November 1, 2017.
(12/279) Former HDP Co-Chair on Trial…
The case against Figen Yüksekdağ, former co-chair of HDP, on Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 16 is held on December 24, 2019. Figen Yüksekdağ attended the trial to make her defence. The indictment demands Figen Yüksekdağ to be sentenced from 30 years up to 83 years for ‘leading an illegal organisation’, ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, ‘opposing to the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations’, and ‘inciting hostility and hate among people’. The court decided to continue detention of Figen Yüksekdağ adjourned the trial to March 10, 2020.
(12/280) Child on Trial in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against a child named M. E. S., on the charge of “damaging public property” for writing “Speak up for Leyla Güven” is held on Adana Juvenile Court No 3 on December 24, 2019. The court sentenced the child to 3 months and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(12/281) “İstanbul KCK Main Case”…
The case against 205 people including members and executives of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 3 is held on December 24, 2019. The court ruled that official statement of Ragıp Zarakolu will be taken via sound and vision system, and decided to expect execution of warrant issued on June 7, 2018. The court partly accepted demand of Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office which states seizure of personal assets of Ragıp Zarakolu in Turkey “in order to make him attend the trials” and adjourned the trial to May 14, 2020. Sweden’s High Court has rejected Turkey’s request for the extradition of Ragip Zarakolu on December 18, 2019.
(12/282) Interventions, Detentions and Arrests for Protests Against Afrin Operation…
The final trial of the case against Sürmeli Bal, provincial executive of Labour Party in Aydın, on the grounds of social media posts about Turkish Armed Forces’ operation to Afrin, is held on Aydın Heavy Penal Court No 2 on December 24, 2019. The court sentenced Sürmeli Bal to 1 year 6 months and 22 days for ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’. Sürmeli Bal was detained on February 14, 2018 and was arrested on February 17, 2018; and he was released from prison on June 8, 2018.
(12/283) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
9 people who were detained in operations covering 9 cities through a Kütahya based investigation on December 17, 2019 are arrested on December 24, 2019.
On December 24, 2019, 34 people are detained in operations covering 16 cities through an Istanbul based investigation and 7 people are detained through a Konya based 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.
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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.