Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
6 May 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(05/019) Torture and Other Ill-Treatment in Prison…
According to news reports and social media posts on May 6, 2025, LGBT+ activist Asya Gökalp, who was arrested in Izmir, was subjected to verbal homophobic violence by other prisoners in the prison where she is being held.
On May 6, 2025, news reports indicated that six LGBT+ prisoners (H.S., M.B., R.D., S.E., E.K., and G.Y.) in Aksaray T-Type Prison were subjected to discriminatory and phobic practices and were being held in solitary confinement.
(05/020) Prisoners Whose Release Was Postponed by the Prison Administration and Observation Board Decision…
According to news reports published on May 5, 2025, it was learned that the release of Aynur Epli, an inmate held at the Women’s Prison in the Aliağa Prison Complex (Şakran) in İzmir, who had completed her life sentence, was postponed for four months by the Prison Administration and Observation Board (CİGK). Aynur Epli’s release had previously been postponed for six months in November 2024.
According to news reports on May 6, 2025, the release of İbrahim Tekin, an inmate held at the İzmir Aliağa Prison Complex (Şakran) who had completed his life sentence, has been postponed for nine months by the CİGK.
(05/021) No Response to Request for Meeting with Abdullah Öcalan…
It has been learned that the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has not responded to the application made by lawyers on May 6, 2025, to meet with their clients, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım, and Veysi Aktaş, who are being held at Imrali Prison.
(05/022) Individuals Detained in Tunceli…
On May 6, 2025, two individuals (O.A. and İ.K.) were detained during house raids in the Pertek district of Tunceli. The reason for their detention is unknown.
(05/023) Indictment Prepared Against Former Mayors and Municipal Officials…
An indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against 34 individuals, including former Mayor of Sarıyer Şükrü Genç, Deputy Mayor of Ataşehir Kalender Özdemir, Deputy Mayor of Maltepe Haydar Battal, and Special Advisor to the Mayor of Maltepe Melih Morsünbül, was accepted by the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13 on May 5, 2025. The indictment seeks the punishment of the 34 individuals for the crime of “providing financial support to an organization.” The first hearing of the case will take place on June 23, 2025.
(05/024) Trial of a Journalist in Diyarbakır…
The trial of journalist Nurcan Yalçın, which was opened at the Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 9S, continued on May 6, 2025. The indictment seeks the punishment of the journalist for “being a member of an organization” and “making propaganda for an organization.” The court decided to continue the judicial control measures against Nurcan Yalçın and postponed the hearing to October 7, 2025.
(05/025) Trial of Journalists in Istanbul…
The trial of journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat, which was initiated at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 25, continued on May 6, 2025. The indictment seeks the punishment of the journalists on charges of “being a member of an organization.” The court decided to refer the results of other investigation files initiated against Mehmet Aslan and Erdoğan Alayumat on the charge of “membership in an organization” to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and postponed the hearing to September 11, 2025.
Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat were arrested on April 26, 2024, and on May 21, 2024, the Istanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court ruled for their release.
(05/026) Trial of a Journalist in Istanbul…
The trial of journalist Sadık Topaloğlu at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 25 continued on May 6, 2025. The indictment seeks to punish Sadık Topaloğlu for “membership in an organization.” The court postponed the hearing to July 8, 2025.
Sadık Topaloğlu was detained on July 10, 2024, arrested on July 13, 2024, and released at the hearing on January 9, 2025.
(05/027) Trial of a Journalist in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the case against journalist Ayşenur Aslan, who was charged for her statements on a television program, was held on May 6, 2025, at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 14. The court acquitted Ayşenur Aslan of the charge of “making organization propaganda.”
(05/028) Trial of a Lawyer in Istanbul…
The trial of lawyer Bedirhan Sarsılmaz, a member of the Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD), began on May 6, 2025, at the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 25. The court announced its decision at the first hearing and acquitted Bedirhan Sarsılmaz of the charge of “being a member of an organization.”
(05/029) Village Guards and Others on Trial in Şırnak…
On December 11, 2023, in the Şenoba rural area of Uludere district in Şırnak, a armed attack resulted in the death of Ahmet Gün, a member of the Şenoba Municipal Council and party official of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and the injury of his son Abdurrahim Gün. The trial of retired village guards Enver Babat and Ömer Yarar, and village guard Sıddık Bab and his son Ebubekir Babat, was continued on May 6, 2025, at the Şırnak 2nd Heavy Penal Court. The indictment seeks the punishment of four individuals for the crimes of “intentional murder” and “attempted intentional murder.” The court decided to continue the detention of Sıddık Babat, the only defendant in custody, and postponed the hearing to July 9, 2025.
(05/030) People taken into custody in Ankara…
On May 6, 2025, as part of an investigation centered in Antep, 47 provinces (Antep, Maraş, Ankara, Erzincan, Istanbul, Burdur, Izmir, Afyonkarahisar, Kayseri, Eskişehir, Denizli, Kırşehir, Konya, Hatay, Kilis, Osmaniye, Bursa, Adana, Trabzon, Bingöl, Malatya, Aksaray, Erzurum, Bolu, Balıkesir, Ardahan, Yozgat, Sakarya, Nigde, Manisa, Mugla, Sanliurfa, Samsun, Mardin, Edirne, Kirklareli, Kocaeli, Aydin, Isparta, Yalova, Tokat, Diyarbakir, Ordu, Batman, Van, Canakkale, and Antalya) In operations conducted in these provinces, 208 individuals were detained on allegations of “engaging in activities within the organization’s current structure” and “providing financial support to the organization.”
[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.