Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
4 November 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(11/034) Earthquake in Izmir…
It is learned that as of November 4, 2020, 114 people have lost their lives and 1035 people have been wounded in the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Izmir on October 30, 2020.
(11/035) Person Died Due to Fire Opened by Soldiers in Hakkari…
On October 30, 2020 a person named Şerali Dereli, has lost his life due to fire opened by security forces in Esendere town of Yüksekova district of Hakkari. It is learned that 5 soldiers were released after they gave their official statements at Yüksekova Prosecutor’s Office on October 30, 2020. It is stated in the news reports that 3 soldiers are banned to leave the country.
(11/036) Person Forced to be a Police Informant in Şırnak…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 3, 2020 that, İbrahim Kaya, city council member from Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Cizre district of Şırnak, was called by persons claim themselves as police intelligence unit members, and was asked to come to Cizre Security Directorate where he was forced to be a police informant.
İbrahim Kaya stated the following: “10 days ago I was called by ‘intelligence unit’ of Cizre Security Directorate. They said, ‘Come here to have a cup of tea with us’. I went to that unit. They started to cross-examine me as soon as I arrived. They forced me to be a police informant. They said, ‘Come and work with us, we will meet anything you need. If you do not accept we will make your life miserable. We give you one week to think about it’.” İbrahim Kaya adds that he was stopped by a civilian car while he was walking on the street 5 days later, and states the following: “Those who got off the car that stopped me, said that they were police officers. They asked me to get on the car but I did not accept. ‘I will not get on your car, if there is a problem I will come to the police station’. They left after I said this.”
(11/037) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 3, 2020 that, prisoners in Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison were subjected to verbal violence of the wardens, the meals given to them were not adequate and hygienic; social, cultural and sports rights were restricted and prisoners were not given books, newspapers and magazines.
It is learned from the news coverage of November 3, 2020 that, 2 prisoners (Bünyamin Sürme and Erdal Polat) were put in solitary cells in Izmir Kırıklar F Type Prison No 1.
(11/038) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 3, 2020 that, prisoners in Adana Kürkçüler F Type Prison started a 2-day hunger strike to demand an end to right violations.
(11/039) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on November 3, 2020 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers in order to visit their client was rejected the same day on the grounds of the ban for Abdullah Öcalan which prevents lawyer visits for 6 months.
(11/040) Detained Former MP and HDP Executive in Ankara…
Ibrahim Binici, former Urfa MP of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), HDP Party Assembly member Mesut Bağcık, and Ayşe Yağcı who were detained through the investigation about Kobanê protests in 2014, in Ankara on October 27, 2020, are arrested by the court on November 3, 2020.
(11/041) Detained Grup Yorum Band Members and Other People Through an Istanbul Based Investigation…
99 people were detained in house raids in 12 cities through an Istanbul based investigation on October 28 and 29, 2020. Grup Yorum band members Ali Aracı, Seher Adıgüzel, Barış Yüksel, Eren Erdem and Özgürcan Elbiz; People’s Law Office lawyer Seda Şaraldı; Merve Demirel and Bengisu Demirel from “I Want My Job Back” protests in Yüksel Street of Ankara; Selvi Polat from “I Want My Job Back” protests in Bakırköy district of Istanbul; Türkan Albayrak who had sit-in protests for 2 years to get back her job in Sarıyer district of Istanbul; Ümit Özçelik who were having press declarations in Hatay for her mother Edibe Özçelik who lost her life in a house raid were among the detainees. 30 of 99 people are referred to the court on November 2, 2020. It is learned that 12 people (Cenk Turan, Savaş Taş, Sadık Taş, Emrah Uludağ, Mehmet Araz, Deniz Özçelik, Orhan Acar, Sercan Toptancı, Senem Asrak, Yağmur Senem Demirel, Yalçın Doğru, Yaşar Coşkun Karadağ) were arrested; 10 people (Senem Doyduk, Mecnun Demir, Metin Kaleli, Beste Yılmaz, Batuhan Şendağ, Cansu Güngör, Hakan Gül, Melike Şahin, Mahir Kılıç, Selvi Polat) were released on judicial control conditions.
Thus, in total 20 people are arrested, 30 people are released provided that 14 of them will be on judicial control conditions, and 2 people are released on house confinement, through this investigation.
(11/042) Özgür Gündem Case…
It is learned that Penal Department No 3 of Istanbul Regional Court has reversed the verdict of acquittal of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu, writer Ahmet Nesin and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey chair and Turkish Medical Association (TTB) chair Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı, in the “Özgür Gündem case”. On July 17, 2019, Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 have acquitted Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin and Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı who were on trial for participating in “Editors in Chief on Watch” campaign to support Özgür Gündem newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree.
(11/043) People on Trial in Istanbul…
The first trial of the case against 15 people (Latife Buğday, Sürreya Kılınç, Nesibe Başaran, Zübeyde Adar, Selamet Demir, Sinem Güzel, Emine Erbek, Hafize Şahin, Ayşegül Yalçın, Sümanperi Akyıldız, Kumri Akgül ve Zehra Doğan, Sakine Yakut, Melek Başkale, Zeliha Gün) from families of prisoners, for having a press declaration in front of Istanbul Bakırköy Women’s Prison, to draw attention to hunger strikes in prisons which have started in 2019 to demand an end to isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, is held at Bakırköy Penal Court of Peace No 13 on November 3, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for 14 people on the charges of ‘violating the Law on Demonstrations and Meetings’, and ‘resisting to the police’.
After defence hearings the court issued a detention warrant for 1 person who did not attend the trial, to issue a warrant to force 1 person to appear in court. The court rejected the lawyers demanding official statements of the police officers to be heard at the court, and adjourned the trial to March 11, 2021.
(11/044) Priest on Trial in Mardin…
The trial of the case against Assyrian Priest Sefer Bileçen is held at Mardin Heavy Penal Court No 4 on November 3, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for Sefer Bileçen on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to January 27, 2021.
(11/045) People on Trial in Ankara…
The first trial of the case against 14 people (Doğa Ünlü, Deniz Altay, Zarife Çamalan, Semra Demir, Fulya Demir, Zeynep Tan, Sibel Göktaş, Süreyya Ergün, Nevroz Gülen, Songül Doğan, Tamer Morkoç, Emre Ozan Özen, Abdulmelik Yalçın, Abdullah Şamil Parlak) who were detained in the police intervention against the commemoration for Soma Mine Massacre, is held at Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No 33 on November 3, 2020.
The indictment demands sentence for 14 people on the charges of ‘violating the Law on Demonstrations and Meetings’, ‘leading an unlawful meeting or demonstration’, ‘participating in activities of those who organize or manage an unlawful meeting or demonstration’.
After defence hearings the court decided to issue a warrant to force Fulya Demir to appear in court and adjourned the trial to February 4, 2021.
(11/046) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On November 3, 2020, 10 people are detained in operations covering 5 cities through a Balıkesir based investigation.
(11/047) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 79 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 2,343 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on November 3, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 10,481 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 382,118 as of November 3, 2020.
It is learned from data shared by Diyarbakır Chamber of Medicine on November 3, 2020 that 1084 health workers including 261 doctors and dentists, 388 nurses and delivery nurses, 39 paramedics, 60 technicians, 22 automation technicians, 19 security personnel, 34 public employees, 14 laboratorians, 8 biologists, 4 engineers, 1 chemist, 10 drivers, 1 cook, 47 medical secretaries, 2 social service experts, 4 psychologists, 1 pharmacist, 2 physiotherapists, 2 workers, 4 finance officers, 6 directors and deputy directors in Diyarbakır have tested positive for Covid-19. It is also stated that 12 health workers in Diyarbakır lost their lives from Covid-19 as of November 3, 2020.
[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.