Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
26 May 2022 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/242) Operations and Attacks…
It is learned from the news coverage of May 25, 2022 that, 1 militant died in a clash between Turkish Armed Forces units and HPG militants in Zap area of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on May 24, 2022.
It is learned that 2 people (Beyaz Demir and 1 more person) were wounded by the fire which was stated to be opened from Serekaniye region of Syria on May 25, 2022. It is reported that 2 people have no life critical condition.
The Ministry of National Defence announced that 1 soldier (Mehmet Meral) died in an attack during the “Claw-Lock” military operation in the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government on May 26, 2022.
(05/243) Person Died in Prison…
It is learned that Sıddık Uğur, a prisoner in Batman Beşiri T Type Prison died on May 25, 2022. It is stated in the news reports that the prison administration claims that the reason of death was suicide.
(05/244) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded…
It is learned that the appeal made on May 26, 2022 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by the lawyers of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, in order to visit him was not responded.
(05/245) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened the sit-in protest of the Electricity, Gas, Water, Dam Workers Union (Enerji-Sen) to demand reinstatement of dismissed EnerjiSa workers, held outside of the Sabancı Center in Beşiktaş district of Istanbul on May 25, 2022. The police intervention was based on the governorate’s ban on protests and 7 people including the union chair Süleyman Keskin and the founder chair Kamil Kartal. Detained people are released on the same day.
(05/246) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened the justice watch of the relatives of prisoners, held outside of Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul on May 26, 2022 and detained 4 people (Fince Akman, Kumri Akgül, Zeynep Calıhan and Songül İlker) by using physical violence. It is learned that the police also prevented journalists.
(05/247) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…
The police intervened the press declaration of Şişli Municipality workers in front of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Ankara on May 25, 2022 and forced people away from the building by using physical violence.
(05/248) Police Prevention to a Protest in Van…
The press declaration of the HRFT, the Human Rights Association (IHD), The Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), Van Bar Association, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and several organisations, in front of Van Courthouse after the trial of the case against former Van-Hakkari Medical chamber chair and HRFT physician Hüseyin Yaviç and HRFT Van Center secretary Sevim Çiçek on May 26, 2022; is prevented by the police on the grounds of governorate’s ban on events. It is learned that the press declaration was held despite the police prevention.
(05/249) Detained HDP Executive in Adana…
It is learned that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Adana provincial executive Mehmet Mustafa Bilgiç who has been detained through an Ankara based “Kobanê investigation” and has been released on judicial control conditions, was detained once again upon the prosecutor’s objection and was arrested by the court on May 25, 2022.
(05/250) Detained People in Mersin…
On May 25, 2022, 2 people are detained in house raids in Mersin. The reason of detention and the names of detained people are unknown.
(05/251) Detained People in Mersin…
4 people who have been detained on the grounds of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and ‘financing an illegal organisation’ in Mersin on May 19, 2022, are arrested by the court on May 25, 2022. The names of arrested people are unknown.
(05/252) Human Rights Defenders on Trial in Van…
The first trial of the case against former Van-Hakkari Medical chamber chair and HRFT physician Hüseyin Yaviç and HRFT Van Center secretary Sevim Çiçek, on the grounds of “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” is held at Van Penal Court of First Instance No 4 on May 26, 2022. It is learned that the lawyers referred to the ban of events in Van, which have been continuing uninterruptedly since November 21, 2016, to the Constitutional Court and ECHR decisions regarding freedom of assembly and demonstration, and demanded an immediate acquittal. After defence hearings, the court adjourned the trial to October 18, 2022.
On October 23, 2021, doctor Rümeysa Berin Şen lost her life in a traffic accident in Ankara. The Turkish Medical Association has organized nation-wide press declarations to commemorate her, but the police have intervened the one that held at Medical Faculty of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and detained HRFT physician and former Van-Hakkari Medical Chamber chair Hüseyin Yaviç and HRFT Van Center secretary Sevim Çiçek.
(05/253) CHP Chair on Trial…
The final trial of the case against of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, upon the complaint of the President and his relatives, regarding the statements about the “Isle of Man Documents”, is held at Istanbul Civil Court of First Instance No 15 on May 26, 2022. The court ordered Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to pay a total of 100,000 TL for non-pecuniary damage.
(05/254) People on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against 8 university students, for protesting the injunction taken by the rector appointed to Boğaziçi University by the President, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 60 on May 26, 2022. The court decided to bring the private security guard who is to be heard as witness, by force to the next trial that is adjourned to September 7, 2022.
(05/255) ÖHD and TUHAD-FED Executives on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against 37 members and executives of the Libertarian Lawyers’ Association (ÖHD) which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, and of the Federation of Prisoners’ Families Legal Solidarity Associations (TUHAD-FED) is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 14 on May 25, 2022. The court adjourned the trial to October 5, 2022.
(05/256) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against 4 people including Etkin News Agency editor Semiha Şahin and reporter Pınar Gayıp, on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 23 is held on May 26, 2022. The indictment demands sentence for 4 people on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’. The court adjourned the trial to September 14, 2022.
(05/257) Journalists on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against USA-based Vice News reporter Jacop Philip John Gingell Hanrahan and cameraman Philip John Pendlebury, along with translator Mohamed İsmael Rasool and driver Abdurrahman Direkçi, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 8 on May 26, 2022.
The court decided to wait for the official statements given by rogatory of letters in the UK, and adjourned the trial to November 29, 2022.
Vice News reporter Jacop Philip John Gıngell Hanrahan and cameraman Philip John Pendlebury, translator Mohamed İsmael Rasool and driver Abdurrahman Direkçi who came to Diyarbakır for a documentary on the curfews in Cizre, Silopi, Nusaybin and Sur districts, have been detained by the police raiding their hotel rooms on August 28, 2015. Journalists and the translator were arrested on the charge of ‘aiding an illegal organisation’, and the driver was released. English journalists were deported after being released from prison on September 3, 2015. Iraqi translator was released from prison on January 4, 2016.
(05/258) Person on Trial for ‘Insulting the President’ and ‘Degrading Turkish Flag’ in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against street artist “Izinsiz” on the charges of ‘publicly degrading Turkish flag’ and ‘insulting the President’ by a drawing around Kabataş portside in Istanbul, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 20 on May 26, 2022.
It is learned that in the expert report submitted to the court, it was stated that “there was no offence in terms of publicly degrading the signs of the sovereignty of the state”, but there was “a situation exceeding the artistic dimension in terms of the charge of insulting the President”. The court adjourned the trial to June 15, 2022.
(05/259) Journalist and Director on Trial in Batman…
The retrial of the case against journalist Ertuğrul Mavioğlu and director Çayan Demirel, for the documentary Bakur (North), is held at Batman Heavy Penal Court No 2 on May 26, 2022. The local court has sentenced 2 people to 4 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’ but Diyarbakır Regional Court has overturned it. The court decided to lift judicial control conditions for Çayan Demirel and adjourned the trial to September 22, 2022.
(05/260) Investigation Against Journalist…
It is learned that an investigation was launched against Bianet news portal’s editor-in-chief Nazan Özcan, following a complaint by Mustafa Doğan İnal, the former lawyer of the President, regarding a news report about the case in which journalists were prosecuted, and Nazan Özcan made her official statement at Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate on May 25, 2022.
(05/261) Festus Okey Case…
The retrial of the case against police officer C. Y., for death of Festus Okey, a Nigerian citizen, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 21 on May 25, 2022. The court sentenced the police officer to 4 years in on the charge of “reckless killing” and then reduced this sentence to 3 years and 4 months.
Festus Okey was detained in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on August 20, 2007 and died at Beyoğlu Police Station. The local court has sentenced C. Y. to 16 years and 8 months on the charge of ‘killing with eventual intent’ but the Penal Department No 1 of the Cassation Court has reversed the verdict and demanded retrial on the charge of ‘reckless killing’.
(05/262) Cancelled Concert in Bursa…
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality announced on May 26, 2022 that the Aynur Doğan concert, which will be held on May 31, 2022 at Bursa Culture Park Open Air Stage, is cancelled.
(05/263) Ban of Concert in Bursa…
Bursa Governorate’s Office banned the concert to be held by Mem Ararat on May 29, 2022 at Bursa Merinos Atatürk Congress and Culture Center on the grounds of “public security” on May 26, 2022.
(05/264) Cancelled Concert in Isparta…
The concert to be given by Melek Mosso on June 3, 2022 as part of the International Rose Festival in Isparta was cancelled by Isparta Municipality on May 26, 2022.
(05/265) Ban of Events in Bursa…
Bursa Governorate’s Office made a declaration on May 26, 2022 and announced that all events such as open door and indoor meetings, marches, press declarations, sit-in protests, opening stands and tents, distributing leaflets and son on are banned for 7 days as of May 27, 2022.
(05/266) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that 3 news reports about a statement of Sedat Peker, published on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr and https://www.yenicaggazetesi.com.tr websites are banned to access on the grounds of “violation of personal rights” by Ankara Penal Court of Peace No 7 on May 25, 2022.
(05/267) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
13 of 15 people who were detained in Edirne in an alleged attempt to illegally flee abroad, are arrested by the court on May 25, 2022. 2 people are released on judicial control conditions.
On May 26, 2022, 21 people are detained in Izmir.
(05/268) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 4 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and the daily number of Covid-19 cases is 1,260 as of May 25, 2022.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 98,943 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 15,066,734 as of May 25, 2022.
[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.