Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
2 -9 December 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/017) Labor Killings…
According to the statement made by Worker Health and Worker Safety Council (ISIG), at least 216 workers including 19 women, 13 children and 12 migrants/refugees lost their lives while working in November 2025.
(12/018) Person Died Due to Being Hit by a Police Vehicle in Siirt…
Fatma Uyanık, who was hit by a police car while crossing the road in Siirt on November 4, 2025, died in Siirt Training and Research Hospital on December 3, 2025.
(12/019) Journalists Were Subjected to Physical Violence of the Police in Adıyaman…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 8, 2025 that, Anadolu Agency reporters Orhan Pehlül and Ali Gazel, who were following the funeral of a police officer who reportedly committed suicide in Adıyaman, were subjected to physical violence of the police and were forcibly taken away from the funeral site. It is also stated in the news reports that 2 journalists were injured in various parts of their bodies due to torture and ill-treatment.
(12/020) Political Party Executive Forced to be a Police Informant in Muş…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 5, 2025 that, Rojhat Acar, provincial executive of Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in Muş, was followed by people claiming themselves as police officers and was forced to be a spy.
(12/021) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 7, 2025 that, Yunus Özak, a prisoner in Kırşehir S Type Prison was subjected to physical violence of the wardens and was wounded in various parts of his body because of rejecting to stand on his feet during a meeting with his superior.
It is learned from the news coverage of December 7, 2025 that, 7 prisoners (Kasım Sanlığ, Hüseyin Er, Nurettin Erdemci, Nurettin Vural, Özgür Eksik, Murat Şimşek and Turgay Vural) in Rize Kalkandere L Type Prison were sentenced to 13 days of solitary confinement each for using the words “Mahabat” and “Kurdistan” in an interest contest among prisoners, and Kasım Sanlığ and Hüseyin Er were sentenced to 13 days of solitary confinement and the other 5 prisoners were sentenced to 1 month of deprivation of right to participate in social activities.
(12/022) Prisoner Prevented from Right to Access to Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 7, 2025 that, Yunus Özak, a prisoner who was subjected to physical violence of wardens in Kırşehir S Type Prison, was taken back to prison without medical examination and treatment on the grounds that he rejected to be examined in handcuffs.
(12/023) Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 8, 2025 that Celal Punar and Fergil Fırat, 2 prisoners in Tekirdağ Çorlu High Security Prison, went on a hunger strike on December 5, 2025, demanding closure of “well-type” prisons and transfer to other prisons.
(12/024) Prisoner’s Release Adjourned by Prison Administration and Observation Board Decision…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 2, 2025 that, the release of Seyda Şimşek, a prisoner in Diyarbakır Prison No 2, who has completed the execution of his life sentence, has been adjourned for 9 months by Prison Administration and Monitoring Board (CİGK). It is reported that the release of Eylem Özer, a prisoner in the same prison, was adjourned for 5 months.
(12/025) Police Intervention to a Protest…
On December 2, 2025, the police intervened the members of Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) protesting the Vocational and Technical Education Summit organized by the Ministry of National Education and detained 17 people by using physical violence. 16 people are arrested by the criminal court of peace on December 3, 2025 on the charges of ‘resisting to prevent duty’ and ‘damaging property’. 1 person was released.
(12/026) Police Intervention to a Protest…
It is learned that 4 education workers including Eren Edabali, chair of Private Sector Teachers’ Union, who were protesting Vocational and Technical Education Summit organized by Ministry of National Education on December 3, 2025, were detained by the police in handcuffs behind their backs. 4 teachers were released on December 4, 2025.
(12/027) Detained Political Party Members in Izmir…
On December 3, 2025, 5 members of Social Freedom Party (TÖP) in Izmir are detained in house raids on the allegations of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’. Detained people were released the same day after statement procedures at the prosecutor’s office. The names of the detainees are: Burak Mert, Sedanur Parmaksız, Adar Abluk, Helin Randa and Deniz Uslu.
(12/028) People Arrested in Antalya for Soksak Interview…
Halil Kürklü, who was detained in Antalya on December 4, 2025 due to a poem he read in a street interview published on social media, was arrested by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace on the same day on the charges of ‘insulting the President’ and ‘public incitement to hatred and hostility’.
Journalist Hasan Köksoy, who made the street interview and was detained on December 4, 2025, was arrested on the same day on the charges of ‘insulting the President’ and ‘public incitement to hatred and hostility’.
(12/029) Person Arrested in Çanakkale…
Arif Kocabıyık, a street interviewer, is detained through an investigation on December 5, 2025 through an investigation on the grounds of insulting the President and is arrested by the criminal court of peace on December 6, 2025.
(12/030) Detained People in Antalya…
3 of 19 people who were detained on December 2, 2025 through an investigation against Manavgat Municipality, are arrested by the criminal court of peace on December 4, 2025 on the charges of ‘bribery’, ‘embezzlement’ and ‘bid rigging’.
(12/031) People Arrested for Statue…
2 people (artist Murat Kaftar who made the sculpture and A.E.I who took part in the exhibition of the sculpture) who were detained on the grounds of the sculpture ‘İnkılılap’ exhibited at Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center in Istanbul, are arrested by the criminal court of peace on December 6, 2025 on the charge of ‘public incitement to hatred and hostility or insult’.
(12/032) Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor on Trial…
The trial of the case against Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, on the grounds that his university diploma was forged, continued on İstanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 59 on December 8, October 2025.
The indictment demands sentence for Ekrem İmamoğlu on the charge of ‘forgery of official documents in a chain’.
The court adjourned the trial to February 16, 2026.
(12/033) Co-Mayor on Trial in Van…
The final hearing of the retrial of the case against Ayvaz Hızır, co-mayor of Bahçesaray district of Van, on the charge of ‘committing a crime on behalf of an illegal organization’ in the case filed by Van Heavy Penal Court No 4 due to a press declaration he attended, was held on December 5, 2025. The court acquitted Ayvaz Hazır.
(12/034) Co-Mayor on Trial in Van…
The final trial of the case against Neslihan Şedal, Co-Mayor of Van Metropolitan Municipality, on the grounds of her speech on trustee appointment to the municipality, is held at Van Court of First Instance No. 4 on December 4, 2025. The court acquitted Neslihan Şadal on the charge of ‘public incitement to hatred and hostility’.
(12/035) Co-Mayor on Trial in Izmir…
The final hearing of the lawsuit filed against Sofia Alağaş, Co-Mayor of Siirt Municipality and former News Director of JINNEWS, due to a news article, was held at Izmir Criminal Court of First Instance No 52 on December 3, 2025. The court acquitted Sofya Alağaş on the charge of ‘unlawful acquisition or dissemination of personal data’.
(12/036) Journalist and Another Person on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against journalist Elif Akgül and Mehmet Saltoğlu, through the investigation against Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), started on December 4, 2025 at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 25. The indictment demands sentence for 2 people on the charge of ‘being an illegal organization member’. The court ruled to continue judicial control measures against 2 people and adjourned the trial to January 20, 2026.
Elif Akgül and Mehmet Saltoğlu were arrested on February 21, 2025 and released on June 2, 2025.
(12/037) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalists Şule Aydın, Barış Pehlivan, Murat Ağırel and Timur Soykan, on the grounds of their statements in a television program, continued on December 8, 2025 at Istanbul Bakırköy Criminal Court of First Instance No 34. The indictment demands sentence for 4 journalists on charges of ‘publicly disseminating misleading information’ and ‘violating confidentiality’. Murat Ağırel is also charged with “publicly denigrating religious values embraced by a section of the public”. The court adjourned the trial to January 22, 2026.
(12/038) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The indictment prepared by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on the grounds of journalist İsmail Sarı’s news article titled ‘Why isn’t the RTÜK leg of the scandal being investigated?’ was accepted by Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The first hearing of the case will be held on June 9, 026.
It is learned that Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office decided not to prosecute for the same news report.
(12/039) People on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against 139 people for participating in the protests against the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu continued on December 5, June 2025 at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 49. The indictment demands sentence for 139 people on the charge of ‘violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’. The court adjourned the trial to January 14, 2026.
(12/040) People on Trial in Ankara…
The trial of the case against 23 people for participating in the protests against the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu started on December 4, 2025 at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 33. The indictment demands sentence for 23 people on the charge of ‘violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’.
It is learned that 7 people who were subjected to strip search torture under custody and their lawyers refused to defend themselves on the grounds that police officers were present in the courtroom. Ümran Hakverdi, one of the lawyers of the defendants, stated the following: “While even the police department is in the process of investigating the allegation of strip search, you do not remove armed police officers from the courtroom. Since the police officers present in the hall were not identified, it is not possible to determine whether they were the torturing officers or not. I demand that all of this be taken into consideration and I refuse to make a defense.”
The court adjourned the trial to May 7, 2026.
(12/041) TRT Director General’s Discriminatory and Phobic Speech…
On December 8, 2025, it is learned from the news coverage of December 8, 2025 that the following discriminatory and phobic statements were made by the General Director of TRT in his speech at the International Children’s Media Summit “Through digital media, an imposition that disregards children’s nature, blurs their identities, encourages LGBT perversion and weakens the family has become hegemonic on a global scale. Artificial identities and genders are being produced under the umbrella of so-called ‘freedom’. It is no longer a choice but an obligation to protect our children against this global wave and to build children’s media on the axis of family and values.”
(12/042) Social Media Accounts Blocked…
On December 4, 2025, it is learned from the news coverage of December 4, 2025 that, 3 news reports on https://www.diken.com.tr/ , https://tr.euronews.com/, https://www.indyturk.com/ websites about a former member of Presidential Economic Policies Board are banned to access on the grounds of ‘protection of national security and public order’ by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 9 on November 25, 2025 and it is ruled to delete these news reports.
It is learned that 6 news reports on https://www.diken.com.tr/ (2 news reports), https://www.babaocagi.com/ , https://12punto.com.tr/ , https://serbestiyet.com/, https://www.patronlarkulisi.com/ websites about the access ban on news reports on Adnan Oktar’s son-in-law, known as “Adnan Hoca”, are banned to access on the grounds of ‘protection of national security and public order’ by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 3 on December 3, 2025 and the contents are ordered to be deleted.
It is learned that 2 contents of Freedom of Expression Association’s website are banned to access on the grounds of ‘protection of national security and public order’ by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No 12 on December 3, 2025 and the contents are ordered to be deleted.
[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.