Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
27 September 2024 Daily Human Rights Report
(09/279) Suspicious Death in Ağrı…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 26, 2024, that, Ömer Deniz (33, m), a shepherd in the Tirkmene rural area of Doğubeyazıt district of Ağrı, was found dead with a hit on his head 200 meters away from a military point in the area. It is also claimed in the news reports that Ömer Deniz was warned by soldiers for wearing local clothes and was pressured to be a spy.
(09/280) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of 26 September 2024 that Songül Dilek, a prisoner in Istanbul Bakırköy Women’s Prison was forced to take off her shoes at the entrance of the prison.
It is learned from the news coverage of 27 September 2024 that, in Erzurum Dumlu High-Security Prison No 2, cameras are placed in such a way that they can see prisoners’ private areas, prisoners can only benefit from ventilation for 2 hours out of 12 hours, prison administration does not allow prisoners to dry their clothes outside and this situation triggers respiratory problems of some prisoners.
(09/281) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan not Responded to…
It is learned that the appeal made on September 27, 2024, to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s family and tutelary along with the families and tutelary of Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in İmralı Prison was not responded.
(09/282) Police Officer Harassed a Woman Who Came to the Police Station in Van…
It is learned from the news coverage of 27 September 2024 that, a woman named M.P. in the Edremit district of Van was harassed by police officer A.Ö. at Edremit District Security Directorate through phone calls and phone messages, and M.P. went to Van Public Prosecutor’s Office and filed a complaint against police officer A.Ö. It is reported in the news that police officer A.Ö. was given a restraining order.
(09/283) People Detained in Diyarbakır, Izmir, and Istanbul…
1 person (Mustafa Açmaz) who was among 30 people detained through an investigation conducted by the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office on 24 and 25 September 2024, was released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office on 26 September 2024. On 27 September 2024, 6 people (Niştiman Gül, Nazan Çelik, Şehriban Akçatulum, Mehmet Selim Temel, Hebun Yağmur, Hasan İkvan) were released after statement procedures at the police station. 7 people (Hasan Gürpınar, Rabia Karayıl, Ramazan Holat, Yaşar Aslan, Ahmet Boltan, Fatma İgin, Cihat Çağrıcı) were released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office. It is also reported that 2 people (Dilan Güvenç, and Rıfat Ronî) were referred to the Criminal Peace Judgeship with the demand of arrest on the same date and the testimonies of 13 other people are still ongoing at the prosecutor’s office.
Cihat Güney, owner of Payîz Pirtûk, was released after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office on 25 September 2024. The detention period of the people detained within the scope of this investigation was extended for 24 hours twice, once on 25 September 2024 and once on 26 September 2024.
(09/284) People Arrested in Urfa…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 26, 2024, that, 4 people (Celal Yıldırım, Cindi Zencirkıran, Ömer Gül, and Vakkas Kılıç) were arrested in Urfa, after sentences of 6 years and 3 months each for ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ were approved by Penal Department No 3 of the Court of Cassation.
(09/285) Former Association Chair and Party Executive on Trial in Ankara…
The first hearing of the lawsuit filed against Fatin Kanat, former co-chair of Human Rights Association (iHD) Ankara Branch and Ankara Provincial Chair of Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), on the grounds of the declaration titled ’Enough! Enough on the 108th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide! Stop Denial’ shared by the Commission against Racism and Discrimination on his social media account in 2023, was held on 26 September 2024 at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 56. The court acquitted Fatin Kanat on the charge of ‘publicly insulting the state of the Republic of Turkey’.
(09/286) Human Rights Defender on Trial in Ankara…
The first trial of the case against Adnan Vural, former Central Executive Board (MYK) member of Human Rights Association, on the grounds of a press statement he attended in 2016 and his social media posts, started on September 24, 2024 at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 2. The indictment demands a sentence for Adnan Vural on the charges of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. The court decided to lift the judicial control conditions on Adnan Vural and adjourned the trial to 28 November 2024.
(09/287) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The retrial of the case against journalist İsmail Eskin, on the grounds of his social media posts on the curfews declared in 2015, started on 26 September 2024 at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 4, after the sentence of 3 years 1 month and 15 days was reversed by Penal Department No 3 of the Court of Cassation. The court acquitted the journalist on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’.
(09/288) Journalist on Trial in Antep…
It is learned from the news coverage of 26 September 2024 that, the indictment of the Antep Public Prosecutor’s Office against journalist İrfan Uçar, for his news reports and social media posts, was accepted by Antep Heavy Penal Court No 2. The indictment demands a sentence for the journalist on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The first hearing of the case will be held on 9 January 2025.
(09/289) Journalist on Trial in Van…
The retrial of the case against journalist Sinan Aygül, the chair of the Bitlis Journalists’ Association, on the grounds of “publicly disseminating misleading information” through a news report he made, started on 26 September 2024 at the 2nd Criminal Chamber of Van Regional Court of Appeals, after the 10-month prison sentence given by Tatvan Penal Court of First Instance No 1, was overturned by the 8th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation. The court acquitted Sinan Aygül.
Sinan Aygül, who was arrested on 14 December 2022 after sharing the news on social media, was released on 22 December 2022 upon the objection of his lawyers.
(09/290) Artist on Trial in Istanbul…
The first hearing of the case against Grup Yorum member Rezzan Şengül was held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25 on 26 September 2024. The indictment demands a sentence for the artist on the charge of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court decided to release Rezzan Şengül and adjourned the trial to a later date.
Rezzan Şengül was arrested after the armed attack at Istanbul Çağlayan Courthouse on 6 February 2024 and sent to Kırşehir High-Security Prison. Since 27 March 2024, he has been on a hunger strike demanding a transfer.
(09/291) People Under Investigation in Adana…
It is learned from the news coverage of September 27, 2024 that, the investigation against 2 people (M.K. and B.A.) who were detained in connection with the hanging of a poster of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on Celal Bayar Bridge in Seyhan district of Adana on February 8, 2024, and who were released by the criminal peace judgeship on judicial control conditions on February 12, 2024, was decided not to prosecute.
(09/292) Person on Trial in Izmir…
The first trial of the case against 1 person named Dilruba Kayserilioğlu, on the grounds of her statements in a street interview in Izmir in which she criticized the ban of access on Instagram, started on 26 September 2024 at Izmir Penal Court of First Instance No 62. Following the defense hearings, the prosecutor declared the final opinion on the case and demanded a sentence for Kayserilioğlu on the charge of ‘insulting the President’. The court decided to lift the judicial control conditions on Dilruba Kayserilioğlu and adjourned the trial to 31 October 2024. It is also reported in the news that journalists were not allowed into the courtroom.
Dilruba Kayserilioğlu was arrested on 12 August 2024 on the grounds of ‘inciting the public to hatred and hostility’ and ‘insulting the President’ due to her statements in the street interview and was released on 29 August 2024. In the lawsuit filed against her at Izmir Penal Court of First Instance No 35 on the grounds of ‘inciting the public to hatred and hostility’ and ‘ insulting a section of the public’, the court sentenced Dilruba Kayserilioğlu to 7 months and 15 days of imprisonment and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(09/293) Person on Trial for Social Media Posts in Amasya…
It is learned from the news coverage of 26 September 2024 that, Amasya Heavy Penal Court No 2 accepted the indictment against Hüseyin Kocakaya (74, m), who was detained in Amasya on 23 May 2024 for his social media posts and was released on judicial control conditions. The indictment demands a sentence for Hüseyin Kocakaya on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. The first trial of the case will be held on 25 February 2025. It is also reported in the news that Hüseyin Kocakaya, who has been living in Germany for 55 years, cannot see his family and relatives in Germany due to judicial control conditions on him.
(09/294) People on Trial in Ankara…
The trial of the case against 26 people who were detained by the police and subjected to torture and ill-treatment during the police intervention against a press statement in Ankara about the accident in a mine in the Amasra district of Bartın on October 14, 2022, in which 43 workers lost their lives and 9 workers were injured, continued on September 26, 2024, at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 65. The indictment demands a sentence for 26 people on the charge of ‘violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’. The court adjourned the trial to 23 January 2025.
(09/295) People on Trial in Ankara…
The final trial of the case against 10 people on the grounds of the speeches made during the traditional ‘Cow Feast’ held at Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences (SBF) in 2022, was held at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 68 on 26 September 2024. The court acquitted 10 people on the charges of ‘publicly insulting religious values adopted by a section of the public’ and ‘insulting the President’.
(09/296) Boğaziçi University Students on Trial…
The trial of the case against 7 students of Boğaziçi University, on the grounds of the picture of Kaaba in the exhibition opened within the protests against the rector appointed to Boğaziçi University, continued on 27 September 2024 at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 21. The prosecutor declared the final opinion on the case and demanded a sentence for 7 students on the charge of ‘insulting religious values’. The court adjourned the trial to 21 February 2025.
(09/297) People Under Investigation for Social Media Posts in Artvin…
It is learned from the news coverage of 26 September 2024 that, an investigation was initiated against 2 people (Taşkın Altunkaya and Tuncay Koyuncu) in the Hopa district of Artvin, on the grounds of their social media posts about Justice and Development Party (AKP) Artvin MP Faruk Çelik, and that they went to Hopa Security Directorate and gave official statements. It is also reported in the news that the phones of 2 people were seized by the decision of prosecutor’s office and their lawyers were not given the decision on the grounds of ‘lack of a written decision’.
(09/298) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned from the news coverage of 26 September 2024 that, a total of 3 content on https://www.birgun.net, https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr, and https://www.diken.com.tr, related to two groups close to İsmailağa Jamaat, were banned to access by Istanbul Criminal Peace Judgeship No 2 on 25 September 2024, on the grounds of violation of personal rights; and that the content was ordered to be deleted.
It is learned from the news coverage of 26 September 2024 that, 1 news report by journalist İsmail Saymaz about a mufti of the İsmailağa sect, which was published on https://t24.com.tr, was banned to access by the Istanbul Criminal Peace Judgeship No 2 on 25 September 2024 on the grounds of violation of personal rights, and the content was ordered to be deleted.
It is learned from the news coverage of 26 September 2024 that, 2 news reports on https://www.odatv.com and https://halktv.com.tr, about the Rector of Izmir Democracy University and allegations of irregularities at the university, were banned to access by Izmir Criminal Peace Judgeship No 5 on the grounds of violation of personal rights, on 20 September 2024.
[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.