Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
6 November 2020 Daily Human Rights Report
(11/067) Male Violence Monitoring Report for 2020 October…
According to “Male Violence Monitoring Report” of Bianet which was published on November 4, 2020, at least 23 women and 4 children were killed by men in October 2020.
It is also stated in the report that, men committed violence against at least 80 women, abused 25 children, and sexually assaulted 7 women in October 2020. At least 229 women are killed in the first ten months of 2020.
(11/068) Hunger Strike in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 5, 2020 that, 3 prisoners (Serhat Yıldırım, Faruk Dursun, Osman Işıklı) are on hunger strike since October 12, 2020, and 1 prisoner (Veysi Altan) is on hunger strike since October 28, 2020, to demand an end to right violations in Maraş L Type Prison No 1.
It is learned from the news coverage of November 5, 2020 that, 3 prisoners (Mehmet Can, İmam Buzi and Ömer Hayat) who are kept in solitary cells are on hunger strike since October 27, 2020, and 1 prisoner (Reşit Kodax) is on hunger strike since October 30, 2020, demanding to be kept in a ward in Konya Ereğli T L Type Prison No.
(11/069) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 5, 2020 that, in Maraş Türkoğlu L Type Prison No 2, precautions for Covid-19 were not taken, prisoners were given only 2 masks each to be used for 2 weeks, and they were not given cleaning supplies and disinfectants, and the cleaning supplies were sold at high prices at prison commissary. It is also stated in the news reports that prisoners were not given Yeni Yaşam newspaper.
It is learned from the news coverage of November 5, 2020 that, 3 prisoners (Mehmet Can, İmam Buzi and Ömer Hayat) who were transferred from Kırşehir Prison to Konya Ereğli T Type Prison on October 16, 2020, were forced to strip search at the entrance of prison and they were put in solitary cells. It is also stated in the news reports that, another prisoner, Reşit Kodax was kept in a solitary cell for 2 years, he was subjected to physical violence of the wardens, and he was threatened by expressions like “nobody knows you, nobody is aware of you, nobody would know if we killed you”.
(11/070) Prevention of Right to Health in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 5, 2020 that, prisoners in Maraş Türkoğlu L Type Prison No 2, were not taken to prison infirmary apart from the days set by prison administration.
(11/071) Detained Grup Yorum Band Members and Other People Through an Istanbul Based Investigation…
97 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 16 people were arrested; 9 people were released on judicial control conditions on November 5, 2020.
Thus, in total 49 people are arrested, 46 people are released provided that 21 of them will be on judicial control conditions, and 2 people are released on house confinement, through this investigation.
(11/072) Detained TJA Spokesperson in Diyarbakır…
TJA spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan who was detained in Diyarbakır on October 30, 2020, through a Mardin based investigation, is released by the court on judicial control conditions on November 5, 2020.
(11/073) Detained Teachers in Diyarbakır…
It is learned that 26 members of Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim-Sen) are detained through an investigation against Democratic Society Congress (DTK) in Diyarbakır on November 6, 2020. It is reported that houses of teachers and their personal cabinets at schools were searched by the police.
Names of detained people learned so far are: Şenay Koç, Zeynep Alak, Kasım Aydın, Hacer Alp, Hamdin Öztekin, Yıldırım Arslan, Abbas Şahin, Saliha Zorlu, Tahir Çetin, Recep Şimşek, Mehmet Baydemir, Mehmet Emin Üzel, Halis Kızılırmak, Fatih Mutlu, Ezgi Çelik, Nuri Aras, Savaş Saymaz, Mehmet Arda, Remzi Mehmetoğlu, Ruken Çelik, Murat Derince, Devrim Durucan.
(11/074) Detained People for Social Media Posts…
On November 5, 2020, 12 people are detained for social media posts about the earthquake that hit Izmir on October 30, 2020. It is learned that 10 people are released provided that 2 of them will be on judicial control conditions, and 2 people are still under custody.
(11/075) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final trial of the case against Onur Emre Yağan, former executive editor of Ileri Haber news portal, for 4 social media posts of the news portal which were shared in 2014, is held at Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of First Instance No 53 on November 5, 2020.
Onur Emre Yağan stated that the social media posts were dated before he was on duty as executive editor. After defence hearings the court sentenced Onur Emre Yağan to 1 year 2 months and 17 days on the charge of ‘insulting the President’ and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
(11/076) Journalist and Executives of ESP and SGDF on Trial…
The case against 9 people including Ali Sönmez Kayar, Etkin News Agency reporter; Sıtkı Güngör, central executive board member of Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP); Narin Duru, member of The Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK); and Ali Deniz Esen, central executive board member of The Confederation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF), on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 32, on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ is held on November 5, 2020. The court adjourned the trial to March 16, 2021.
Sıtkı Güngör, Ali Deniz Esen, Narin Duru, Eren Bulut and Ali Sönmez Kayar were detained on February 1, 2018 in Istanbul and were arrested on February 6, 2018. These 5 people were released by the court on judicial control conditions on October 31, 2018.
(11/077) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Rüstem Batum, on the grounds of ‘insulting the President’ in his social media posts, is held at Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 5 on November 5, 2020. The court adjourned the trial to February 25, 2021.
(11/078) Investigation Against Labour Party Executive…
It is learned that an investigation was initiated against Yusuf Akar, Gebze district chair of the Labour Party, for participating in the press declaration to protest trustee appointment to Kars city; and that he gave his official statement through the investigation, at Çayırova District Security Directorate on November 5, 2020.
(11/079) Proceedings Against Parliamentary Members…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 5, 2020 that, 4 proceedings demanding lift of impunity of 2 parliamentary members are submitted to Grand National Assembly.
Parliamentary members subjected to proceedings are:
- Independent Istanbul MP Ahmet Şık (3 proceedings)
- HDP Izmir MP Murat Çepni (1 proceeding)
(11/080) Prevention of Investigation Against Police Officers…
It is learned from the news coverage of November 5, 2020 that, Hatay Governorate’s office rejected to permit 7 police officers to be investigated by Hatay Public Prosecutor’s Office, about death of Ahmet Atakan. Ahmet Atakan lost his life after being hit by a gas canister fired by the police during Gezi Park protests in Hatay in 2013. It is reported that, Hatay Governorate’s office stated that the report which reveals that the blood sample taken from 4 gas canisters found at the scene of incident matches that of Ahmet Atakan, does not count as evident. It is learned that lawyers of Ahmet Atakan’s family appealed to Adana Regional Administrative Court.
(11/081) Ban of Events in Siirt…
Siirt Governorate made a declaration on November 5, 2020 and announced that, all events such as demonstrations and meetings; press declarations, opening tents and stands, sit-in protests, collecting petitions, commemorations, distributing leaflets, hanging banners and so on are banned for 15 days as of November 6, 2020.
(11/082) Covid-19 Pandemic…
The Ministry of Health declared that 81 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and 2,311 new Covid-19 ill patients were diagnosed on November 5, 2020.
The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 10,639 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 386,820 as of November 5, 2020.
It is learned that Yalçın Özdemir, a workplace doctor in Istanbul, died from Covid-19 on November 5, 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.