Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
06 April 2018 Daily Human Rights Report 06
(04/058) Armed Assault Towards Academicians in Eskişehir…
On April 5, 2018 an armed assault by Eskişehir Osmangazi University research fellow Volkan Bayar resulted in deaths of faculty dean Fatih Özmutlu, associate dean Mikail Yalçın, research fellows Serdar Caglak and Yasir Armağan. Volkan Bayar and his spouse were detained following the incident.
News coverage surfaced in press revealed that other academicians previously filed complaints for Volkan Bayar. Upon complaints, it is alleged that Bayar shouted in the faculty saying ‘‘this will be solved with 24 bullets’’. An academician revealed that Volkan Bayar previously gave petititons to the administration accusing some of his colleagues as ‘‘illegal organization members’’. The academician stated: ‘‘The administration took Volkan Bayar’s accusations so seriously that without further evidence they expelled these instructors. We went to the prosecution a couple of times to file compliants but somehow all charges were always dismissed. No one did anything until Volkan Bayar took a gun to his hand and actually went through with his threats’’.
(04/059) Torture and Ill Treatment Claim in Van…
It is claimed in news coverage of April 3, 2018 that on March 31, 2018 Abdülmuttalip Dursun (25) and his father Yaşar Dursun (53) were physically and verbally abused by plain clothes people claiming to be police officers. It is reported that physical violence continued in the hospital they were taken to. Abdülmuttalip Dursun revealed the following in his testimony to press: Two people got out of a white car and immediately took out Kalashnikovs, started cursing and insulting. There was no interrogation. They didn’t even let us talk. They cursed heavily and insulted us.
They told us to lean to the car and asked for our ID’s. Then they continued to curse us and said ‘you have very clean records. If you didn’t I could have beaten you all day. I told them that they are people who work for the government and such behavior doesn’t suit them. When I said this they replied to me saying that how dare I advised them on how to behave and then they handcuffed my hands from by back. They hit me with the back of the gun and broke my teeth. They literally tore my face apart. My father’s nose is broken. They put us in a police room in the hospital. I was sitting on the couch, they came and told me to sit on the floor and not defile the governments property. Then he made me lay on the floor, hit my face, put his foot on my head and called the doctor. Doctor came and looked at my face. He said ‘I’ll right him a report’, and the officer said ‘write something similar to a report’.’’
It was learned that Abdülmuttalip Dursun and Yaşar Dursun were taken to gendarmerie station and were released after their testimonies were taken.
It is also learned that HDP Van MP Adem Geveri brought the torture and ill treatment allegations to the Parliament and filed an official parliamentary question requesting an answer from the Ministry of Health.
(04/060) Operations and Attacks in the South East…
It is learned that on April 5, 2018 one soldier was wounded during a clash between security forces and HPG militants in Gümüşhane.
(04/061) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned that on April 5, 2018, Özgür Toplum magazine employee Mevlüt Gür who was transferred from Kürkçüler Type F Prison to Tarsus Type T Prison, was physically abused by wardens and sent to an isolation cell because he refused to stand up during counting.
(04/062) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of April 5, 2018 that vegan prisoner Osman Evcan began a hunger strike on March 26, 2018. Evcan requested that an investigation must be opened as he suffered food poisoning from the vegan food he was given by the prison. Evcan’s attorney revealed the following: ‘‘My client wants the cancellation of the no need to prosecute decision. He wants an effective investigation, relevant footage during his poisoning to be examined thoroughly and he want prosecution to listen to his testimony as well and not only the warden’s.’’
(04/063) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of April 5, 2018 that 8 prisoners in Tarsus Type T Prison has been in a hunger strike for 11 days in order to protest right violations they have been suffering. Names of the prisoners are: Mesut İşbilir, Rıdvan Kaya, Ali Şen, İsa Gültekin, Abdülaziz Özdemir and three prisoners named Ömer, Uzan and İsmail whose last names were not identified.
Also from April 5, 2018 coverage it is learned that 5 female prisoners in Tarsus Women’s Prison started a hunger strike on Mart 15, 2018 in order to protest right violations they have been suffering.
It is reported that the demands of the hunger strike are banning of strip searches, stopping the restraining of books and personal belongings shipped to prisoners, ending mandatory standing during counting, ending limitations to visitation, talking rights and 1 hour visits.
(04/064) Rejection to Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on April 5, 2018 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 limitations for prisoners in accordance with the Law on the Execution of Criminal and Security Measures Number 5275. With the last rejection, it was the 744th time that appeals for visiting Öcalan have been rejected so far. Abdullah Öcalan has met his lawyers on July 27, 2011 for the last time.
(04/065) Prisoner’s Right to Health Restrained in Prison…
It is learned from news coverage of April 5, 2018 that prisoner Ebru Yeşilırmak’s treatment was prevented. Yeşilırmak was injured from her back when police officers shot her in İstanbul’s Sultangazi district on June 27, 2016. Yeşilırmak was detained before her treatment was finalized and later arrested. Yeşilırmak’s sibling stated that she is not receiving her medical treatment, not being sent to hospital with the justification of her not being a soldier and her x-rays are not being taken.
(04/066) Number of Arrested Attorneys…
CHP Deputy Chair of Human Rights Tekin Bingöl’s report released for Lawyer’s Day was published on April 5, 2018. According to the report, 570 attorneys were arrested and investigations opened for 1,480 attorneys.
(04/067) Police Intervention Towards “I Want My Job Back” Protests in Ankara…
The police intervened into the press declaration of public laborers dismissed by decree with the force of law who have been struggling for a while to regain their jobs, intended to be held in front of Human Rights Monument in Yüksel Street on April 5, 2018 at 13.30 and 18.00.
It was reported that in police intervention against the press declaration which was planned to be held at 13.30 on April 5, 2018, the first anniversary of “I Want My Job Back” demonstrations, 3 people (Mehmet Dersulu, Selvi Polat and Mahmut Konuk) and at 18.00, 3 people (Acun Karadağ, Mehmet Dersulu and Bülent Özgül) were detained.
Thus in total 6 people were detained due to press declaration intended to be held in Yüksel Street on April 5, 2018. It is learned that detainees were released the same day.
(04/068) Print House Workers Detained in İstanbul…
Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper and the publishing house of the newspaper Gün Printing House were appointed government trustees and 25 people were detained during raids to both locations. 20 print house workers were arrested on April 5, 2018 due to ‘‘membership of an illegal organization’’ and ‘‘making propaganda of an illegal organization’’. It is learned from news coverage that a children’s literature book named Zimane Kurdi was considered an element of crime.
(04/069) HDP and DBP Members and Executives Detained…
Two bakery house workers detained on April 4, 2018 for bringing cake to HDP Diyarbakır center for Abdullah Öcalan’s birthday were released on April 5, 2018.
HDP co-chair Murat Çepni who was detained on April 3, 2018 for his social media posts was released by court on April 5, 2018 with judicial control condition.
(04/070) The Cases Against Academics Who Are the Signatories of the Petition “We will not be a party to this crime!”…
Trials of Prof Dr. Melda Tuncay and Prof. Dr. Tevfik Hakan Ongan separately opened by 36th Heavy Penal Court continued on April 5, 2018. Academicians were accused of ‘‘making propaganda of an illegal organization’’ for signing the “We Will not be a Party to this Crime” declaration.
Following the defenses, the court sentenced Melda Tunçay to 1 year 3 months and postponed the sentence.
Following the defenses, the court sentenced Tevfik Hakan Ongan to 1 year 3 months and postponed the sentence.
Trial of Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı opened by the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32 for the same reason continued on April 5, 2018. The court postponed the hearing to June 5, 2018.
Trials of E.Ö. and İpek Vedia Yürekli İnceoğlu also opened separately for the same reason by the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 37 continued on April 5, 2018. The court ruled for files to be combined with the ongoing case in the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 rejected acquittal and postponed the hearing to October 17, 2018.
Trials of associate professors Yrd. Doç. Dr. Aylin Ünaldı, Yrd. Doç. Dr. Emine Fişek and Doç. Dr. Abdullah Ahmet Ersoy also opened separately for the same reason by the Istanbul 24th Heavy Penal Court continued on April 5, 2018. The court ruled for Ünaldı to be brought by force and postponed the trial to September 13, 2018. For Emine Fişek’s case the court ruled for files to be combined with the ongoing case in the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 rejected acquittal and postponed the hearing to June 5, 2018. For Abdullah Ahmet Ersoy’s case, the court postponed the hearing to June 19, 2018.
(04/071) Trials of HDP MP’s…
The trial of HDP Hakkari MP Selma Irmak continued on April 5, 2018. The case was opened by Silopi 1st Penal Court of First Instance for violating the law on meetings and demonstrations. Selma Irmak did not attend the trial as she refused to attend through SEGBİS. The court ruled for Selma Irmak to be present for the next trial and postponed the next hearing to June 28, 2018.
(04/072) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Connection to Coup Attempt…
Former judge Hikmet Şen who was detained in Bursa on March 30, 2018 was arrested by court on April 5, 2018.
(04/073) Trials of Journalists in İstanbul…
Trials of 31 Zaman newspaper employees including 17 arrested defendants such as Ali Bulaç, Şahin Alpay, Mümtazer Türköne, Ahmet Altan and Nuriye Akman, continued on April 5, 2018. Zaman newspaper was closed by the decree with the force of law. Prosecution asked for heavy life sentences for 9 defendants including Ali Bulaç, Mümtazer Türköne and Şahin Alpay for ‘‘violating the constitution’’. Prosecution asked for up to 15 years of jail sentence for 20 defendants due to ‘‘membership of an illegal organization’’ and for 2 defendants for ‘‘deliberately assisting an illegal organization’’. The court ruled for the continuity of arrests of 17 defendants, decided 20 case files to be separated and postponed the hearing to May 10, 2018.
(04/074) Trials in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…
The final trials of 7 separate cases for leaking public personnel selection examination in 2010, took place on April 5, 2018. The court sentenced four defendants (Esra Toker, Emrah Efe, Nurşah Bayat ve Ayla Şahin) to 6 years 3 months. Esra Toker and Çağatay Serkan Sandık were also sentenced to 3 years 1 month 15 days and 609.260 TL penalties for ‘‘chain fraud towards public institutions’’. The court acquitted two defendants.
The final trial of former Antalya vice-Governor Bilal Çelik for the case opened by Antalya 8th Heavy Penal Court took place on April 5, 2018. Çelik was dismissed from his position by decree with the force of law. The court sentenced Çelik to 7 years 6 months for ‘‘membership of an illegal organization’’.
The final trial of former Supreme Court member Salih Sönmez for the case opened by Penal Department no. 9 of the Supreme Court took place on April 5, 2018. Salih Sönmez who dismissed his previous attorneys asked for time to select new lawyers and prepare his testimony. The court ruled for the continuity of Sönmez’s arrest and postponed the hearing to August 6, 2018.
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