Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
30 November 2021 Daily Human Rights Report
(11/336) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 29, 2021 that, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in Bursa İmralı High Security Prison is prevented from meeting his lawyers for 6 months, by a court order on October 12, 2021. It is also stated in the news reports that he was also banned from being visited by his family for 3 months, by a court order on August 18, 2021.
It is learned from the news coverage of November 29, 2021 that, in Hatay T Type Prison the heating work only 2 hours a day between 10 p.m. to midnight.
(11/337) Detained DEVA Party Member in Istanbul…
Metin Gürcan, founder member of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) who was detained on the grounds of ‘espionage’ in his home in Istanbul on November 26, 2021 is arrested by the court on November 29, 2021.
(11/338) Detained People in Şırnak…
3 of 18 people (Mızbeh Dalmış, Kamber Dalmış and Mehmet Çağdavul) who were detained in Cizre district of Şırnak on November 27, 2021 are arrested by the court on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ on November 29, 2021. 15 people are released.
(11/339) Detained People in Adana for Social Media Posts…
17 people who were detained on the grounds of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation member on social media’, in Adana on November 26, 2021; are released by the court on judicial control conditions on November 29, 2021.
(11/340) Detained People in Manisa…
On November 26, 2021, 9 members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) were detained in Manisa. 3 of them (Fırat Erol, Hediye Er and Mahide Doğan) are released after statement procedures on the same day and 3 people are released on November 29, 2021. 2 people (Mazlum Silinsin and Cevher Özdemir) are arrested by the court while 1 person (Mustafa Günhan) is released on judicial control conditions.
(11/341) Detained People in Istanbul…
2 of 7 people who were detained in Istanbul on November 26, 2021, are arrested by the court on November 29, 2021. 5 people are released provided that 4 of them will be on judicial control conditions.
(11/342) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Ceren Sözeri, upon complaint of Serhat Albayrak, Turkuvaz Media Group Vice President of Executive Board, for the article titled “Who caused poll defeat of AKP”, is held at Istanbul Commercial Court of First Instance No 2 on November 29, 2021. The court adjourned the trial to April 13, 2022.
(11/343) Boğaziçi University Students on Trial…
The trial of the case against 52 people including 2 arrestees, on the grounds of ‘deprivation of liberty’ and ‘violation of the law on meetings and demonstrations’ for they have participated in the protests against the new rector appointed to Boğaziçi University by the President, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 49 on November 29, 2021. It is learned that the trial was moved to Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 1 as the courtroom was not big enough.
Hilal Işık, one of the students, stated the following: “I could not breathe when I was detained. And here I have to defend myself as a person who was subjected to torture. I deny the accusations.”
Another student Şeyma Altundal stated the following: “They beat us and tortured us to detain. I was handcuffed behind my back (…) My headscarf went down as I was being beaten under custody. I could not put it back since I was handcuffed behind my back (…) Following the reactions to that, the Security Directorate posted a footage with my name and surname on social media. This footage was covering the first minutes of custody. But the violence came afterwards, and there was nothing about the violence in this footage. So they denounced me as a ‘liar and slanderer’ (…) And some social media accounts shared my family members’ names.”
After defence hearings the court decided to lift judicial control conditions for 22 people who have made their defences, and adjourned the trial to February 21, 2022.
(11/344) Closure Case Against HDP…
It is learned that the prosecutor of the Court of Cassation submitted the legal opinion to the Constitutional Court regarding the closure case against on November 29, 2021. HDP has submitted the defence declaration on November 5, 2021. It is reported that the prosecutor demanded closure of HDP and political ban for several politicians once again.
(11/345) Police Officers on Trial in Mardin…
Mehmet Emin Gezer, brother of Bilal Gezer who has lost his life during Kobanê protests in 2013 in Dargeçit district of Mardin, has been wounded by the police fire as he applied to Dargeçit Police Station to ask about his brother.
3 special operation police officers were charged with ‘attempt to intentional killing’ but Midyat Heavy Penal Court has decided “no grounds for penalty”. It is learned from the news coverage of November 29, 2021 that, Penal Department No 1 of the Court of Cassation, has concluded on the appeal to the local court’s verdict, and ruled acquittal of 4 defendant police officers.
It is reported that the Court of Cassation stated that “with the effect of what they have experienced, witnessed and as they have lost friends in clashes and bombing attacks, the police officers were mistaken inescapably that they were under necessary defence conditions to eliminate attacks on them”.
(11/346) Lawyer on Trial in Van…
The trial of the case against lawyer Mariye Bildirici, for saying “You are torturers” to the police officers as she was advocating for 3 children who were subjected to torture and ill-treatment at the police station in İpekyolu district of Van in 2019, is held at Van Heavy Penal Court No 7 on November 29, 2021.
It is learned that, the police officers entered the courtroom with their weapons and the prosecutor demanded legal application to Van Public Prosecutor’s Office and to the Provincial Security Directorate in order to launch an investigation against the police officers. The court adjourned the trial to January 31, 2022.
(11/347) Ban of Events in Van…
Van Governorate made a declaration on November 29, 2021 and announced that, all open-door meetings and demonstrations are banned for 15 days as of November 30, 2021. It is also announced that press declarations, sit-in protests, opening stands and tents, collecting petitions, distributing leaflets and so on will be subjected to the local authority’s permission. All events are banned in Van for 1849 days since November 21, 2016.
(11/348) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 189 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and the daily number of Covid-19 cases is 24,137 as of November 29, 2021.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 76,635 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 8,770,372 as of November 29, 2021.
It is learned that 4 health workers (doctor Metin Baş in Kastamonu, pharmacist Nejat Toker in Kırklareli, dietitian Şerife Gündoğdu in Ankara and doctor Ercüment Keçik in Ankara) lost their lives due to Covid-19 on November 29, 2021.
It is learned from the news coverage of November 29, 2021 that at least 40 prisoners in Izmir Şakran T Type Prison No 2 tested positive for Covid-19.
[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.