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26 January 2021 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]

26 January 2021 Daily Human Rights Report

(01/231) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of January 25, 2021 that in the D-9 ward of Aksaray T Type Prison the heating either turned on at a very low level or do not work at all.

It is learned from the news coverage of January 25, 2021 that, a prisoner named Gariba Gezer is kept in a solitary cell in Bünyan Women’s Prison.

(01/232) Abducted Person in Istanbul…

Gökhan Güneş, who was abducted by 5 people forcing him into a car in front of his workplace in Başakşehir district of Istanbul on January 20, 2021, is released blindfolded at around 6 a.m. on January 26, 2021 in Başakşehir district of Istanbul.

Gökhan Güneş held a press conference at Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul office on the same day and stated the following: “On January 20, I left the house for work a little bit late and I was alone. I got off the bus at 12 p.m. and there were 4 persons at the pavement nearby the bus station. One of them said ‘excuse me?’ and when I turned around to look at him all of them suddenly flied at me and I noticed that the number of persons around me was more than I saw. They tried to force me into a car. I tried to pull myself back and resisted to not to get in. And they gave me shock with a taser to break my resistance. Then I regain my consciousness and found myself in a car, two persons were in my arms on both sides, pushing my head down covered in a sack. They put me in another car. They took me somewhere that I do not know and I could never see the place, no information of location or name of the place was stated. (…) They tortured me from time to time and systematically. (…) They gave me electric shocks, they beat me and sometimes they wet me with cold water all of which were usually done while I was naked or with only underwear on me. And sometimes I was closed in a closet which is called grave where you can only stand but cannot move your body, blindfolded and handcuffed behind the back. They threatened me and forced me to be an informant. And they threatened to rape me too (…) When I said ‘you are probably from the national intelligence’ they did not respond but they mentioned themselves as ‘we are the invisible’ in some conversations. (…) After they put my clothes on they put perfume on my coat… Before they release me, the one that they call the chief said ‘I am not taking any of your belongings apart from the sim card’. (…) Then I was put in a car, they said ‘walk straight ahead, the way is clear, do not look back just walk ahead’. After a few steps I unfolded my eyes (…) I could not find a transportation vehicle there since I did not have my phone. It was early in the morning, but I thought it was in the evening. Then I asked a security guard there to call a cab, I took the cab and got back home”.

(01/233) Police Interventions to Protests About Abduction of Gökhan Güneş…

The police intervened the press declaration of Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) in front of Istanbul Governorate’s Office on January 25, 2021 and detained 5 people (Hıdır Yılmaz, Çınar Altan, Recep Acar, Ulaş Budak, Necmettin Erden). The declaration was about Gökhan Güneş, who was abducted by 5 people forcing him into a car in front of his workplace in Başakşehir district of Istanbul on January 20, 2021.

The police detained 1 person (Murat Doğan) who held a protest for the same cause in Esenyurt district of Istanbul on January 25, 2021.

5 people (Gülhayat Toraman, Nurhayat Güneş, Ferhat Harun Pehlivan, Özge Doğan, Hacı Toraman) who were detained in the police intervention to the protest outside of Arena Park in Başakşehir district of Istanbul on January 24, 2021 are released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office on January 25, 2021.

(01/234) Interventions to Protest About Hunger Strikes in Prison…

On January 25, 2021, the police intervened and removed the banner reading “Isolation is a crime against humanity. Be the voice of hunger strikes, do you hear about prisons?” which was held at Urfa provincial office of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to draw attention to indefinite hunger strikes that started on November 27, 2020 in prisons to demand an end to isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. 3 people (HDP Urfa co-chair Emine Çetiner, Ahmet İsek and Mehmet Ferit Tamğa) who resist to the removal of the banner are detained by the police using physical violence. 3 people are released after statement procedures at the police on the same day.

(01/235) Intervention Against a Protest in Ankara…

The police intervened the protest in front of Çankaya Public Health Directorate on January 25, 2021, who rally to regain their jobs from which they had been dismissed by state of emergency decrees, and detained Mahmut Konuk by using physical violence. Mahmut Konuk is released on the same day.

(01/236) Detained HDP Executives in Istanbul…

HDP Esenyurt district co-chairs Ercan Sağlam and Dilan Kılıç are detained on January 25, 2021 on the grounds of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.

Ercan Sağlam and Dilan Kılıç were detained after the police raid to HDP Esenyurt district office on January 24, 2021 and were released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office.

(01/237) Detained Person in Van…

Perihan Karaman who was detained in a house raid in Van on January 22, 2021 is released by the court on judicial control conditions on January 25, 2021.

(01/238) Detained People in Diyarbakır…

On January 25, 2021, 19 of 35 people who were detained in house raids in Dibek, Budak and Yolçatı rural neighbourhoods of Lice district of Diyarbakır on January 19, 2021 are arrested by the court, 16 people are released provided that 7 of them will be on judicial control conditions. Provincial Gendarmerie Command members have raided several houses on the grounds of operations of anti-terror and narcotics departments.

(01/239) Detained People in Urfa…

On January 25, 2021, 2 people (Kamil Yalçınkaya and Mehmet Yalçınkaya) are detained in house raids in Halfeti district of Urfa. The reason of detention is unknown.

(01/240) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…

The trial of the case against journalist Durket Süren is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 11 on January 25, 2021.

The indictment demands jail sentence for Durket Süren from 1 year to 8 years, on the charge of ‘aiding an illegal organisation’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’, for her social media posts and distributing banned issues of Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem newspapers which are closed down by state of emergency decrees.

After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to April 26, 2021.

(01/241) People on Trial in Diyarbakır…

The trial of the case against 5 people (Gönül Adıbelli, former co-chair of Health and Social Service Employees’ Union [SES] Diyarbakır branch; Gülistan Ekti, suspended co-mayor of Hazro district; Bahar Karakaş Uluğ, Free Women’s Movement activist; and Gurbet Özel, Hasibe Yazdı) is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 11 on January 25, 2021. 5 people are on trial for participating in the march to draw attention to the hunger strikes in prisons in 2019, demanding an end to isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The indictment demands sentence for 5 people on the charges of ‘violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations’ and ‘being an illegal organisation member’.

The court adjourned the trial to March 10, 2021.

(01/242) Proceedings Against Parliamentary Members…

On January 25, 2021 that, 4 proceedings demanding lift of impunity of 4 parliamentary members are submitted to Grand National Assembly.

Parliamentary members subjected to proceedings are:

  • Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Bursa MP Mustafa Hidayet Vahapoğlu
  • MHP Ankara MP Yaşar Yıldırım
  • Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul MP Mehmet Bekaroğlu
  • HDP Ağrı MP Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir.

(01/243) Discriminative Marking of Alevi Houses in Yalova…

It is learned from the news coverage of January 25, 2021 that a cross was placed on five houses of Alevis on Bağlarbaşı neighbourhood of Yalova and “Alevi” was written on the walls. It is reported that the police initiated an investigation.

(01/244) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

On January 25, 2021, 9 people are detained in operations covering 7 cities through an Erzincan based investigation.

(01/245) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

The final trial of the case against Salih Buçukoğlu, former judge of the Supreme Military Administrative Court is held at Penal Department No 9 of the Court of Cassation on January 25, 2021. The court sentenced the defendant to 7 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.

(01/246) Covid-19 Pandemic…

The Ministry of Health declared that 137 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 671 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on January 25, 2021. It is also declared that the daily number of Covid-19 case is 5,642.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 25,210 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 2,435,247 as of January 25, 2021.

It is learned that nurse Ismahan Emirdağ lost her life from Covid-19 in Manisa on January 25, 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.

[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.