Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
3 February 2021 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/035) Person Died in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 2, 2021 that, a prisoner (A. Turan) who was one of 4 prisoners committed suicide in Malatya Akçadağ T Type Prison, lost his life.
(02/036) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 2, 2021 that, prisoners who reject strip search in Malatya Akçadağ T Type Prison were subjected to physical violence, and that prisoners were forced to stand up during roll-calls, hot and cold water given to prisoners was restricted and social, cultural and sports rights of prisoners were restricted too.
(02/037) People Not Released from Prison After Serving Full Sentence…
It is claimed in the news coverage of February 2, 2021 that, 13 prisoners in several prisons of Turkey who had served their full sentence, are not released from prisons on the grounds of “The Code on Observation and Classification Centers and Evaluation of Convicts” which was published on the Official Gazette on December 29, 2020.
Prisoners who are not released are:
- Adnan Hamo (Balıkesir L Type Prison),
- Sadık Özbay (Diyarbakır D Type Prison),
- Ebedin Aktaş (Mersin Tarsus T Type Prison No 1),
- Fesih Tekin (Mersin Tarsus T Type Prison No 1),
- Didar Bozan (Izmir Şakran Women’s Prison),
- Merve İşleyici (Izmir Şakran Women’s Prison),
- Ceylan Bozkurt (Izmir Şakran Women’s Prison),
- Yakup Vadi (Düzce Prison),
- Vedat Turgut (Düzce Prison),
- Özcan Sönmez (Batman Beşiri T Type Prison),
- Zınar Demir (Osmaniye T Type Prison No 2),
- Nurşen Tekin (Mersin Tarsus Closed Women’s Prison),
- Şahin Gegez (Balıkesir Burhaniye T Type Prison).
(02/038) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Police Interventions to Protests in Istanbul…
It is learned that the people who were detained in police interventions against protests of police interventions against protests in Boğaziçi University in Istanbul on February 2, 2021, were subjected to physical and verbal violence of the police during interventions and under custody; and that at least 1 woman was subjected to sexual abuse. It is also learned that 1 journalist was injured at face by a rubber bullet fired by the police.
One of the detainees, K. Ç, stated the following on physical violence and sexual abuse: “There were 4 riot police officers behind me. Somebody squeezed my bottom while I was encircled. I turned back as I noticed, and I saw these 4 riot police officers behind me, and I reacted against them, telling to move away. (…) While they were putting me in the detention car, my right arm was twisted and I was dragged then I was pushed to the detention car, facing down on it. At that moment, the police officer who was holding my right arm, pushed his leg on my genitals and tried to handcuff me behind my back. A female friend by me reacted against him and told him to get his leg back. I was handcuffed behind my back and put in the detention car.”
Another detainee E. E., stated the following: “We were attacked on a busy street so many of us were in danger of being hit by the cars. While they were detaining us, at least 10 police officers were swooping down on per person. As a result, one of our friend has a fracture in foot, one has dislocated jaw and another one has head trauma because of being beaten.”
Şeyma Çopur stated the following: “We were waiting at the bus stop while we were faced with violence of the police. There were no warnings, the police chief ran to us, pushed one of our friend, saying ‘look down’. We were detained immediately. (…) They handcuffed all of us behind our backs. We were harassed both physically and verbally, they cursed at us a lot. They said, ‘We are the state, do you know what we can do here?’. They squeezed testicles of our male friends. We were still in handcuffs behind our backs under custody. One of our friend were suffering from serious bruises on the wrist but they did not loosen the handcuffs. The police officers dislocated one friend’s jaw. We were beaten in the detention car, I have crushes and bruises on my body.”
Batuhan Çotur stated the following: “The police verbally harassed and committed physical violence while they were detaining us. They punched us and dragged on the floor. They used handcuffs behind our backs and put us in the detention car. Verbal harassment and physical torture continued in the detention car as well.”
Rıdvan Gezer stated the following: “The police tried to handcuff us behind our backs while they were detaining us. Then they failed to handcuff us and tried to take off our face masks, pushed us and dragged to the detention car. Many of our friends were kicked and punched at these moments. I was put in the car without handcuffs so they dragged me out of the car, and tortured me to put handcuffs. Then I was taken to another car, a police officer came behind me and started to punch me. And he brought another friend of mine, and pushed him on my body, then he took a club from the car and started to hit both of us. I was in handcuffs behind my back so I could not cover my head, he hit my head at least twice with the club.”
Elif Üçerli stated the following: “We were detained around 16.30, and were kept in the detention car until 5 a.m. in the ne next morning. This was itself a form of torture. They continuously beat us; I still have pain in my shoulders. I suffered from high blood tension for a long time in there. They tried to seize our phones without any record.”
Tanya Kara stated the following: “They detained us with torture. We were walking on the street while they have detained us. They dragged our friends on the ground, they forced us to lay down on the ground and handcuffed us behind our backs. There were four or five police officers stepping onto us. Some of our friends are severely beaten at the head. They insulted us, and threatened us saying ‘Do not forget our faces’. They were especially rough on women. They pulled their hair, and kicked them on the ground while detaining. A friend of us who was detained in Bebek, was kicked at her vagina.”
Caner Delisu stated the following: “They brought a baton in the detention car and hit one of our friend with it, even at the head. They were threatening us, saying ‘We will finish you’. They kicked our head to the car when we rejected being handcuffed behind our backs. They did this in front of the hospital. When we reacted, they went in and started to insult us, they said ‘You are terrorists’. They kicked my leg just before I went into the doctor’s room”.
(02/039) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Police Interventions to Protests in Izmir…
It is learned that the people who were detained in police interventions against press declarations to protest police interventions to protests in Boğaziçi University and to protests discrimination against LGBTIQs in Izmir on February 2, 2021, were subjected to torture and ill-treatment of the police during interventions and under custody.
One of the detainees, Berke Avcı, stated the following: “There were 7 or 8 police officers coming onto me and they started to pull me, one of them hit my head with the police wireless when they could not make me fall down, and the wireless broke into pieces. Then the number of police officers raised, and they forced me to lay down on the ground. I was resisting while they were pulling my hands towards my back to handcuff me. One of the police officers started to kick my stomach while the other was kicking my head. I was trying to lift my body and a police officer stepped on my head, and stayed on my head on one leg for a while. Then they pushed me back to the ground, a police officer stepped on my hand this time. Then I noticed that the police officers were pushing harder to handcuff me behind my back so that they were about to break my hand, I let them to take my hands towards my back. I was wearing a coat and a rucksack so they could not fasten the cable tie. This made them to force my hand further. (…) I saw that many of my friends in the detention car were in handcuffs behind their backs and they were being beaten by the police pulling their hair, sitting on them and kicking them.”
Zilan Tayboğa stated the following: “I was handcuffed behind my back while being detained. A male police officer pushed his knee on my back, another one pulled my hair and hit my head to the ground which split my lip open and bleed. (…) They continued to beat us in the detention car.”
(02/040) People Subjected to Physical Violence of Watchmen in Adana…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 2, 2021 that, a child (V. İ.) who was detained in Seyhan district of Adana on January 30, 2021, was subjected to physical violence of the watchmen and was handcuffed behind the back. It is learned that a quarrel took place between the child’s family together with the people around them and the watchmen, and that the watchmen fired their guns up into the air.
It is reported that the mother and sister of the child, who were also detained were released after statement procedures at the police on the same day.
(02/041) People Forced to be Police Informant in Istanbul…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 2, 2021 that, Sinan Alabakır, a member of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) who was detained in Istanbul on January 28, 2021 and was taken to Eyüp district police station, was forced to be a police informant.
It is learned from the news coverage of February 2, 2021 that, Gülay Alabukan, a member of HDP who was detained in Istanbul on January 26, 2021 and was taken to Sancaktepe district police station, was forced to be a police informant.
(02/042) Police Interventions to Protests in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara…
On February 2, 2021, 108 people were detained in the police intervention against the demonstrations in Istanbul to protest the new rector appointed by the President and the arrest of 2 students on January 30, 2021. 98 of them are released on February 2, 2021, while 10 of them are released by the court on house confinement. People released on house confinement are: Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) executive board member Hivda Selen, SGDF members Azze Deniz Akşer, Alev Özkiraz, provincial executives of Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) Gamze Toprak and Vedat Çınar Altan, ESP members Ela Deniz Albayrak and Hıdır Yılmaz, Revolutionary Students’ Union (DÖB) member Muhammed Hizmetçi, Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP) member Ulaş Bedri Çelik, Ramazan Özdemir.
83 people who were detained by physical violence of the police intervening to the press declaration held in front of Çankaya Municipality building in Ankara on February 2, 2021, are released after statement procedures at the police on February 3, 2021.
The police used pepper spray, rubber bullets and batons to intervene the people gathering in front of Türkan Saylan Cultural Center in Izmir, to participate in the press declaration of Izmir Solidarity for Universities and Izmir Labour and Democracy Forces on February 3, 2021. It is learned that the police prevented the journalists, and intervened the groups gathering at Gündoğdu Square afterwards. The police detained at least 45 people by using physical violence, forcing people to lay down on the ground and handcuffing them behind their backs.
(02/043) Police Prevention to a Protest in Izmir…
The police prevented the press declaration of dismissed postal employees in front of Izmir Provincial Directorate of Turkish Post on February 2, 2021.
(02/044) Arrested HDP Executives in Ankara…
9 members and executives of HDP were detained in operations covering 6 cities through an Ankara based investigation, 2 of them (executive board member Sevim Akdağ and former executive board member Hülya Ertaş) are arrested by the court on February 3, 2021. 7 people (Narin Dönmez, Berat Kıran, Nurullah Özgün, Cengiz Fidan, Rabia Şevin Sarıbulak, Ömer Almaç and Ramazan Toktaşer) are released on house confinement.
(02/045) Journalist on Trial in Bayburt…
The first trial of the case against Ferhat Çelik, executive editor of Mezopotamya News Agency, for the news report, “Insects are put in meal for prisoners in Bayburt”, is held at Bayburt Penal Court of First Instance on February 2, 2021.
The court acquitted Ferhat Çelik.
(02/046) Police Officer on Trial in Diyarbakır…
Şahin Öner lost his life after being hit by an armoured police vehicle on February 10, 2013 in Diyarbakır, during protests about anniversary of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s being taken to Turkey. The trial of the case against police officer S. K., driver of the armoured vehicle, on the charge of intentional killing, is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 1 on February 2, 2021.
The court adjourned the trial to May 27, 2021.
(02/047) Specialised Sergeant on Trial in Şırnak…
The final trial of the case against specialised sergeant Aslan A., on the grounds of sexual abuse of a child, is held at Şırnak Heavy Penal Court on February 2, 2021.
The court sentenced Aslan A. to 2 years and 6 months on the charge of ‘sexual abuse’.
(02/048) Closure of Student Club in Boğaziçi University…
It is learned from the news coverage of February 2, 2021 that the LGBTI+ Studies Candidate Club in Boğaziçi University is closed by the new rector.
Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun shared a post about closure of the club and stated the following: “the university administration has taken a legitimate decision in the face of those trying to trample upon our sacred values.”
(02/049) Ban of Events in Van…
Van Governorate made a declaration on February 2, 2021 and announced that, all open-door meetings and demonstrations are banned for 15 days as of February 3, 2021. All events are banned in Van for 1549 days since November 21, 2016.
(02/050) Ban of Access to Web Contents…
It is learned that the news reports on the tenders which were won by friends of Bilal Erdoğan, and Burak Erdoğan, President Tayyip Erdoğan’s sons, which were published on https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr, http://www.krttv.com.tr, https://t24.com.tr websites are banned to access on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of Peace No 3 on February 1, 2021.
(02/051) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On February 2, 2021, 15 people are detained in operations covering 3 cities through a Kayseri based investigation.
On February 2, 2021, a detention warrant is issued through an Ankara based investigation for 294 people including military members on active duty. It is learned that operations are initiated in 42 cities.
(02/052) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trial of the case against Metin İyidil and Abdullah Barutçu, former lieutenant generals and Hamza Koçyiğit, former major general, is held at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 2 on February 2, 2021. The court sentenced 3 people to 12 years and 6 months each on the charge of ‘aiding to the attempt to abolish the constitutional order’. The court also ruled to arrest Abdullah Barutçu upon verdict.
(02/054) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 120 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 630 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on February 2, 2021. It is also declared that the daily number of Covid-19 case is 7,795.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 26,237 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 2,492,977 as of February 2, 2021.
It is learned that dentist Şerif Giray Deneçli in Istanbul lost his life from Covid-19 on February 2, 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.
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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.