Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
5 March 2021 Daily Human Rights Report
(03/065) Operations and Attacks…
It is learned that 11 soldiers including Commander of the 8th Corps Lieutenant General Osman Erbaş died and 2 soldiers got wounded in a helicopter collapsing in rural areas of Tatvan district of Bitlis on March 4, 2021. The Ministry of Defence announced that it was an accident. Soldiers who lost their lives are: Osman Erbaş, Nazmi Yılmaz, Şentürk Aydıner, Salih Sarıoğlu, Mehmet Demir, Ömer Umulu, Tayfun Kureş, Gökhan Uysal, Şükrü Karadirek, Tolga Demirci, Hakan Gül.
It is learned that 11 soldiers got wounded in rollover of a military vehicle on Şırnak-Cizre roadway on March 4, 2021.
(03/066) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2021 that, 3 prisoners (Yılmaz Ay, İsmail Göçeri and Cengiz Akkaya) who rejected to stand up during roll-calls were subjected to verbal and physical violence of the correction officers in Isparta E Type Prison.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2021 that, 3 prisoners (Deniz Şah, Latif Mollaahmetoğlu, İlhan Kaya) were transferred from Bolu F Type Prison to Izmir Kırıklar F Type Prison No 1 under coercion on March 2, 2021.
It is learned from the news coverage of March 4, 2021 that, the heating was not working enough and the water given to prisoners was limited in Mersin Tarsus Women’s Prison.
(03/067) Detained Members and Executives of Association in Diyarbakır…
26 people have been detained in Diyarbakır through the investigation against MEBYA-DER (Association of People Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilizations), 2 of them [Democratic Regions Party (DBP) provincial executive Hatice Güneş and MEYA-DER executive Muzaffer Ulaş] are arrested by the court on March 4, 2021 while 1 person (DBP Bağlar district executive Tahir Gül) is released on judicial control conditions.
The number of arrested people raised to 4 while 2 people were released on judicial control conditions. 20 people are still under custody.
(03/068) Detained People in Hakkari…
On March 4, 2021, 6 people (Murat Yaşar, Hikmet Namoğlu, Barış Kıskan, İsmail Korkmaz, Sedat Deniz and Hüseyin Orhan) are detained in house raids in Hakkari on March 4, 2021. The reason of detention is unknown.
(03/069) Detained Person in Diyarbakır…
Emine Aksu, an employee of Mezopotamya Cultural Association, who was detained in Diyarbakır through a Mardin based investigation on March 3, 2021, is released by the court on March 4, 2021.
(03/070) “KCK Press Case”…
The trial of the case against 46 journalists, known as “KCK Press Case” is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 3 on March 4, 2021. The court adjourned the trial to June 22, 2021.
(03/071) Özgür Gündem Case…
The trial of the case against Hüseyin Aykol and Zana Kaya, executive editor İnan Kızılkaya, editor in chief of Özgür Gündem newspaper and politician Hatip Dicle, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 22 on March 4, 2021. The court decided to prolong the detention warrant for Hatip Dicle and adjourned the trial to July 13, 2021.
(03/072) Özgür Gündem Case…
The trial of the case against journalist Can Dündar for participating in “Editors in Chief on Watch” campaign to support Özgür Gündem newspaper which was closed down by a state of emergency decree; and against İnan Kızılkaya, executive editor of Özgür Gündem, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 22 on March 4, 2021. The court decided to wait for execution of warrant against Can Dündar and adjourned the trial to July 13, 2021.
(03/073) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against Ahmet Altan, Yasemin Çongar, Yıldıray Oğur, Tuncay Opçin and Mehmet Baransu, former employees of Taraf newspaper, is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 on March 4, 2021.
The indictment demands sentence for 5 people on the charges of ‘destroying or damaging, stealing by deception, making use outside the assigned place of documents or certificates relating to the security of the state’, ‘securing information that is to be kept confidential for reasons relating to the security of the state’, ‘disclosing information that is to be kept confidential for reasons relating to the security of the state’, and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.
The court decided to continue detention of Mehmet Baransu and adjourned the trial to June 2, 2021.
(03/074) Journalist on Trial in Ağrı…
The trial of the case against Abdullah Kaya, reporter of Dicle News Agency which was closed down by a state of emergency decree, is held at Ağrı Heavy Penal Court No 2 on March 4, 2021.
The indictment demands sentence for Abdullah Kaya on the charges of ‘knowingly and willingly aiding an illegal organisation without being a member of it’, ‘successively making propaganda for an illegal organisation’:
The court adjourned the trial to July 1, 2021.
(03/075) Journalist on Trial in Van…
The trial of the case against journalist Arif Aslan is held at Van Heavy Penal Court No 5 on March 4, 2021.
The indictment demands sentence for Arif Aslan on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’.
After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to March 18, 2021.
(03/076) Journalists and Other People on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against 38 people including Etkin News Agency reporter Tunahan Turhan and Özgü Gelecek newspaper reporter Taylan Öztaş, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 13 on March 4, 2021. 38 people are on trial for participating in the protests against trustee appointments to municipalities, in Kadıköy district of Istanbul on August 22, 2019.
After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to September 30, 2021.
(03/077) Journalists and Human Rights Defenders on Trial in Ankara…
The trial of the case against 11 people including journalists Sibel Hürtaş and Hayri Demir, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper employee Barış Ceyhan and Human Rights Association (İHD) executive board member Nuray Çevirmen, for their news reports and social media posts on Turkish Armed Forces’ military operation to Afrin, is held on March 4, 2021 at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 15.
The court decided to end proceedings against Hayri Demir and Sibel Hürtaş and send a writ to Ministry of Justice to proceed according to Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code; and adjourned the trial.
3 people (Barış Ceyhan, Saim Serin and Lezgin Tekay) who were arrested through this case were released at the first trial held on September 6, 2018. The court has also separated the case against HDP MP Kemal Bülbül.
(03/078) Journalist on Trial in Van…
The final trial of the case against journalist Oktay Candemir, on the grounds of ‘insulting the President in an article’, is held at Van Penal Court of First Instance No 3 on March 4, 2021. The court acquitted Oktay Candemir.
(03/079) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against journalist Rojhat Doğru is held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 8 on March 4, 2021.
The indictment demands sentence for Rojhat Doğru on the charges of ‘disrupting the unity and integrity of the state’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation member’.
After defence hearings the court adjourned the trial to May 4, 2021.
(03/080) Journalist on Trial in Antep…
The final trial of the case against Cumhuriyet newspaper reporter Hazal Ocak, upon the criminal complaint of Şahinbey district municipality demanding 20,000 Turkish Liras as compensation, is held at Gaziantep Civil Court of First Instance No 6 on March 4, 2021. The court rejected the case.
(03/081) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Hayko Bağdat for social media posts is held at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 28 on March 4, 2021.
The indictment demands sentence from 1 year 10 months and 15 days to 13 years 1 month and 15 days for Hayko Bağdat on the charge of ‘successively making propaganda of an illegal organisation through press’. The court adjourned the trial.
(03/082) Prison Massacre Case…
The trial of the case against 196 people who were on duty at Gendarmerie General Command during “Operation Back to Life”, which caused death of 12 people and injury of 29 in Bayrampaşa Prison, is held on Bakırköy Heavy Penal Court No 13 on March 4, 2021. The operation which killed 32 people in 20 prisons in total was conducted to enable conversion of the prisons to F Type prisons and to end hunger strikes in prisons on December 19, 2000.
It is learned that Gendarmerie General Command did not send the recordings of radio recordings during the operation and the final report regarding the operation, although these were requested by the court. The court decided to send a writ to Gendarmerie General Command to request these documents once again and adjourned the trial to July 8, 2021.
(03/083) Investigation for Social Media Posts in Batman…
It is learned that Batman Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation on March 4, 2021, on the charge of ‘provoking hatred and hostility among public’, against HDP Batman organisation for a social media post about an armoured police vehicle chasing after children in Batman.
(03/084) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
On March 4, 2021, 1 person is detained on a warrant in Konya.
3 people who were detained in Edirne in an alleged attempt to illegally flee to Greece, are arrested by the court on March 4, 2021.
(03/085) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 68 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 685 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on March 4, 2021. It is also declared that the daily number of Covid-19 case is 11,322.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 28,839 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 2,746,158 as of March 4, 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.