Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
28 – 30 June 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(06/188) Prisoner Dies in Prison…
According to news reports on June 29, 2025, Mehdi Arin, a prisoner held at the Muğla Bodrum S-Type Prison, died. The reports state that the prisoner died of a heart attack.
(06/189) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
According to news reports published on June 28, 2025, it was learned that the book titled “The Case for a Life of Dignity: The Defense of Selahattin Demirtaş,” written by Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which was sent to a prisoner held at the Erzurum Dumlu Prison, was not delivered to the prisoner by the prison administration.
According to news reports on June 30, 2025, Emre Erdem, a prisoner transferred to Kırşehir S Type Prison for treatment, was threatened with the words, ”Welcome to Guantanamo. This is Guantanamo. Forget everything you have seen and known before. There are no laws here; you will see what we will do to you. There is no organization here; you cannot do anything, so you must get along with us, or else your end will be bad.” It was also reported that he was subjected to physical violence by prison guards for refusing to share a cell with non-political prisoners.
(06/190) No response to Request for Meeting with Abdullah Öcalan…
It has been learned that the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office did not respond to the requests for a meeting made on June 27, 2025, by the families and guardians of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK, and Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım, Veysi Aktaş, Engin Atabey, Zeki Bayhan, and Mahmut Yamalak, who are being held in Imralı Prison.
(06/191) Threatened Journalist…
According to news reports on June 30, 2025, journalist Alican Uludağ, who reported on the case involving the torture and other ill-treatment of Syrian refugees at a gendarmerie station in Reyhanlı district of Hatay and the death of two refugees, was threatened with the words, “We will torture you like they did at the gendarmerie station.”
Alican Uludağ stated the following in his statement to the press: “Two days after my report on the torture case at the station, yesterday, I received a threatening message referring to this report. I am not sure if the name of the person or group is real. But the method is familiar. Someone wants to send a message. When I thought about my movements throughout the day yesterday and then the way the message arrived, it raised suspicions that my phones were being illegally tapped and monitored. I am keeping the details confidential for now. However, I have filed a complaint with the relevant authorities today against those who illegally obtained my personal information and sent the threatening message.”
(06/192) Interventions and Bans Targeting Pride Month…
On June 28, 2025, prior to the 23rd Istanbul Pride March, police intervened in an event organized by the Turkey Workers’ Party (TİP) in Yoğurtçu Park in the Kadıköy district. including İrfan Değirmenci, a member of the TİP Party Council (PM) and journalist, journalist Ertuğrul Albayrak, and two lawyers, using physical violence and handcuffing them. It was learned that two people were released after giving their statements to the police on the same day. Of the 41 people transferred to the Anatolia Courthouse in Kartal on June 29, 2025, 28 were released after giving statements to the prosecutor’s office, while 13, including İrfan Değirmenci, were released by the duty magistrate’s court with a travel ban as a condition of their release.
The Istanbul Beyoğlu District Governor’s Office announced on June 28, 2025, that all meetings, demonstrations, press statements, distribution of leaflets, sit-ins, and similar actions and activities throughout the district would be banned for one day starting on June 29, 2025, ahead of the 23rd Istanbul Pride March. The district governor’s office also announced that Taksim Square will be closed off with barriers, and that Sıraselviler and İstiklal Streets and their side streets will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
The Istanbul Governor’s Office made the following statement ahead of the 23rd Istanbul Pride March: “It has been observed that some marginal groups are calling for gatherings and marches on social media. These calls, which target the peace of society, family structure, and moral values, have not been permitted. No tolerance will be shown for any gatherings or marches that threaten public order, and the necessary measures will be taken by the relevant authorities.”
Prior to the 23rd Istanbul Pride March, the Taksim, Şişhane, Yıldız, and Fulya metro stations, the Taksim–Kabataş funicular line, and the Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa and Beşiktaş piers in Beşiktaş were closed to traffic. Additionally, it was reported that Taksim Square and the surrounding streets and avenues were closed to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
On June 29, 2025, during the 23rd Istanbul Pride March in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, police intervened and detained 57 people, including 4 lawyers, using physical violence and handcuffing them behind their backs. It was reported that 7 people were released after giving statements to the police on the same day. It was reported that police prevented lawyers from meeting with three journalists and 50 people who were taken to the Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate. On June 30, 2025, three of the 50 people referred to the criminal court of first instance were arrested, while 47 were released on judicial control.
On June 28, 2025, police intervened in a march planned to take place on Kıbrısşehitleri Street in the Konak district as part of the 13th İzmir Pride March, blocking the march by surrounding the people who had gathered for the march. No one was detained during the intervention. It was also learned that the police prevented LGBT+ flags from being hung on the buildings of some parties and unions, bridges, and bus stops, and took down the flags that had been hung.
(06/193) Journalists Detained while Covering News in Istanbul…
On June 29, 2025, journalists covering the 23rd Istanbul Pride March in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul were prevented from doing their job by the police, and three journalists (Nur Kaya, Evrim Gündüz, and Yusuf Çelik) were detained by the police using physical violence. The three journalists were released on June 30, 2025, by the magistrate’s court to which they were referred, subject to judicial control.
(06/194) People Detained while Distributing Leaflets in Istanbul…
On June 28, 2025, in the Sancaktepe district of Istanbul, two individuals, including a child (16, e), who were distributing a statement related to the anniversary of the July 2, 1993, Sivas massacre, were detained using physical violence on the grounds that the silhouette of İbrahim Kaypakkaya was on their aprons. On June 29, 2025, the two individuals were transferred to the Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul, where proceedings were initiated against them on charges of “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911” and “making organization propaganda.” One of them was released by the prosecutor’s office after giving a statement, while the other was released by the magistrate’s court with a travel ban and the condition of signing in regularly.
(06/195) Person detained in Istanbul…
On June 25, 2025, Onur Yılmaz, a member of the Polen Ecology Collective, was detained at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport upon arrival from abroad. On June 27, 2025, he was arrested by a magistrate’s court on charges of “being a member of an illegal organization.”
(06/196) Person Arrested in Kocaeli…
On October 28, 2025, a person named M.Ç. was detained after entering the courtyard of a school in the İzmit district of Kocaeli with a sword and allegedly attacking a bust of Atatürk and insulting him. He was arrested by the magistrate’s court on charges of “violating the Law on Crimes Against Atatürk.”
(06/197) Persons on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of 45 people who participated in protests against the arrest and detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu continued on June 27, 2025, at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No. 65. The indictment seeks the punishment of 45 people for “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911.” The court adjourned the hearing until October 24, 2025.
(06/198) Military personnel on trial in Hatay…
On March 11, 2023, nine people who attempted to enter Turkey from Syria were detained at the Kavalcık Şehit Er Gökhan Çakır Border Post in Reyhanlı district of Hatay. The case involving the torture and other ill-treatment of these individuals at the border post, as well as the death of two refugees The trial of the case opened at the Hatay Heavy Penal Court No. 4 on June 26, 2025, was heard. The court sentenced four defendants, including the police station commander, to two consecutive life sentences for causing the deaths of two Syrian refugees, and seven years and six months in prison for the crime of “causing injury through torture.” The court also sentenced one defendant to 6 years and 3 months in prison, two defendants to 4 years and 2 months in prison for the crime of assault, and three defendants to 2 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of “concealing evidence of a crime.” The court acquitted 11 defendants.
(06/199) Discriminatory Decision by the Ministry of Health…
According to news reports on June 27, 2025, the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency of the Ministry of Health imposed a 21-year age limit on hormones used by transgender individuals in gender affirmation processes.
The reports stated that a letter sent to provincial governors regarding the matter read: “The Presidency has declared 2025 as the ‘Year of the Family.’ In order to address the emerging threats to our healthy societal structure and our cultural and spiritual values, our institution has deemed it necessary to take precautionary measures.”
(06/201) Internet Content Blocked…
It has been learned that access to three social media accounts (X, Facebook, and Instagram) belonging to Kaos GL and the website https://kaosgl.org/ has been restricted by a decision of the Istanbul 12th Criminal Court of Peace dated June 26, 2025, on the grounds of protecting national security and public order.
[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.