Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
08 – 10 March 2025 Daily Human Rights Report
(03/047) Torture and Ill-Treatment in a House Raid in Istanbul…
It is learned from news coverage of March 7, 2025 that Pınar Aydınlar had a gun held to her head by the police in front of her children during the police raid to her house in Istanbul on February 18, 2025.
Pınar Aydınlar made the following statement about torture and ill-treatment she was subjected to “Why do you come to my door with a panzer at 05.00 in the morning? I said ‘stop for 2 minutes, let me get dressed’, they did not let me and entered the house with a battering ram. They made my children lie on the ground. They put a gun to my forehead in front of them. They pointed guns at them too.”
(03/048) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…
It is learned from the news coverage of March 8, 2025 that 33 prisoners in Istanbul Marmara (Silivri) Prison Campus were transferred to different prisons against their will. Prisons to which prisoners were transferred: 7 prisoners (Dilara Su Kalpak, Leyla Can, Gamze Toprak, Hivda Selen, Ezgi Gürbüz, Senem Nur Pektaş, Berfin Polat) Kocaeli Kandıra F Type Prison No. 1; 9 prisoners (Meliha Kayacı Akyüz, Serpil Topal, Simay Ada Kart, Züleyha Müldür, Azze Deniz Akşar, Deniz Aktaş, Sıla Turan, Tanya Kara, Zeynep Tekin) Kocaeli Gebze Women’s Prison; 5 prisoners (İbrahim Akbay, Onur Yoldaş Mete, Cafer Erözsoy, Muhammet Altınkaya, Mazlum Ortaç) Tekirdağ Çorlu High Security Prison; 12 prisoners (Yakup Bulut, Doğan İnan, Okan Danacı, Rezzan Akkoyun, Müslüm Koyun, Uğur Ok, Erol Tunç, Adnan Özcan, Bahadır Eren Çağırgan, Berkan Balcı, Emrah Topaloğlu, Göksel Dilibal) Ankara Sincan F Type Prisons No 1 and 2.
(03/049) No Answer to the Application for Meeting with Abdullah Öcalan…
It is learned that the appeal made on March 7, 2025 to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s family and guardian by Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş’s families and guardians in İmralı Prison was not responded by Bursa Public Prosecutor’s Office.
(03/050) Bans, Obstructions and Interventions against March 8 Celebrations…
District Governorate of Beyoğlu district of Istanbul made a declaration on March 7, 2025 and announced that Taksim Square, Gezi Park, Tünel Square, Karaköy Square, Istiklal Street and connected streets, Sıraselviler Street and connected streets are closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic due to the ban on Feminist Night March for March 8, Women’s Day. It is learned that Taksim metro station, Istiklal Street entrance of Şişhane metro station and Taksim Kabataş funicular line will be closed as of March 8, 2025 at 14 hours by the decision of Istanbul Governorate.
March 8, International Women’s Day march to Güvenpark in Ankara was prevented by the police. It is learned that the police prevented the march and a press declaration was held in Sakarya Street.
It is learned that the police intervened LGBTI+’s who wanted to attend the rally in Kadıköy district of Istanbul and detained at least 9 LGBTI+’s. It is reported that 11 people including LGBTI+ people were detained after the rally.
112 people including 2 children and LGBTI+’s were detained by the police intervening the people dispersing after the Feminist Night March in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on March 8, International Women’s Day, by using physical violence and handcuffing them behind their backs. 111 people were released after statement procedures on the same day. 1 person (LGBTI+ activist Iris Mozalar) is released by the criminal court of peace on March 9, 2025 with a ban on leaving the country.
It is learned that the police prevented LGBTI+’s who wanted to participate in the Feminist Night March in Mersin with rainbow flags.
2 people were summoned to testify by the police for the rainbow flag unfurled during the press declaration in Erzincan on March 8, International Women’s Day.
March 8 International Women’s Day march at Gebze Technical University was banned by the Rectorate for chanting slogans and carrying banners in Kurdish. It is learned that a racist person attacked people who took photos with the banned Kurdish banner after the march. It is reported that no one was injured in the attack.
(03/051) Journalists Prevented from Following News in Istanbul…
On March 8, International Women’s Day, it is learned that journalists were prevented by the police from following the police intervention against LGBTI+’s before the rally in Kadıköy district of Istanbul.
(03/052) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…
It is learned that members and executives of Alevi associations and foundations who wanted to march to Syrian Consulate in Istanbul on March 8, 2025 to protest the attacks against Alevis in Syria, were not allowed by the police on the grounds of the ban on demonstrations and events by Şişli Sub-Governorate.
(03/053) Detained Municipality Executive in Istanbul…
Ahmet Kurtuluş, the deputy mayor of Kadıköy Municipality, was detained within the scope of the investigation initiated against him for his remarks about Elif Lale Bilgili, a member of the municipal council elected from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), and was released on judicial control conditions by the criminal court of peace to which he was referred on March 9, 2025.
(03/054) Person Arrested in Mersin for Social Media Posts…
A.E.Ş. who was detained in Mut district of Mersin for his social media posts, is arrested by the criminal court of peace on the charge of ‘provoking hatred and hostility among public’ on March 9, 2025.
(03/055) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalist Furkan Karabay, upon the complaint of the President’s son for a social media post he made, continued on March 7, 2025 at Istanbul Civil Court of First Instance No 45. The court adjourned the trial to July 8, 2025.
(03/056) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
On March 7, 2025, the trial of the case against journalist Onur Öncü continued at Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance No 29 due to his comment on another journalist’s social media post stating that “Dersimli actress Nihal Yalçın, who was trying to provoke the award ceremony and was gently reminded of the deadline by Tamer Karadağlı, answered ‘freedom for Selahattin Demirtaş’ to the question ‘what would be your last tweet’”. The indictment demands Onur Öncü to be sentenced for “insult”. The court adjourned the hearing to March 18, 2025.
(03/057) Lawyers on Trial in Istanbul…
The case against 7 lawyers from Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD) who gathered in Beşiktaş on February 22, 2019 to fly a wishing lantern to draw attention to lawyers on hunger strike in prison and were detained, is held on Istanbul Penal Court of First Instance No 46 on March 7, 2025. The indictment demands sentence for the lawyers on the charge of ‘violating Law No 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations’. The court adjourned the trial to September 4, 2025 after hearing the witnesses who signed the police report on the incident.
(03/058) Trade Union Executives and Other People on Trial in Izmir…
The trial of the case against 22 people including executives of Bağımsız Maden-İş Union and Tarım-Sen, who were detained during the police intervention against the peaceful demonstration to protest dismissal of workers on the grounds of union membership, is held at Izmir Bergama Penal Court of First Instance No 4 on March 7, 2025. The court adjourned the trial to March 21, 2025.
(03/059) Investigation Against the Mayor in Karaman…
It is learned from news coverage of March 7, 2025 that Karaman Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation against Soner Yeşildaş, elected mayor of Akçaşehir district of Karaman from Republican People’s Party (CHP), on the grounds of ‘irregular use of municipality resources’.
(03/060) Ban on Protests and Events in Districts…
Istanbul Şişli District Governorate made a declaration on March 9, 2025 and banned all meetings, demonstrations and press declarations for 3 days between March 9 and 11, 2025.
Istanbul Beyoğlu District Governorate made a declaration on March 7, 2025 and banned all meetings, demonstrations, press declarations, leaflet distribution, sit-in protests and similar events for 1 day as of March 8, 2025.
[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.