Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]
8 December 2023 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/064) Lawyer Subjected to Torture and Other Ill-Treatment at a Gendarmerie Station in Urfa…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 8, 2023, that Ahmet Atış, a lawyer who went to Urfa Organize Sanayi Bölgesi Gendarmerie Station to meet his client who was detained during a protest in Urfa Organize Sanayi Bölgesi, was subjected to physical and verbal violence of soldiers including a person who is reported to be the commander of the station, for speaking Kurdish with his client. It is learned that the lawyer obtained a medical report documenting the physical violence and filed a criminal complaint against those responsible.
(12/065) Sign in Kurdish Taken Down in Diyarbakır…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 8, 2023, that the Kurdish signboard at the entrance of the Salat neighborhood of the Bismil district of Diyarbakır, which reads “Hûn bi xêr hatin” meaning welcome, was removed by the appointed trustee municipality and replaced with a signboard reading “Welcome to Upper Salat neighborhood, I am happy in Bismil”.
(12/066) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded to…
It is learned that the families and guardians of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, along with Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım, and Veysi Aktaş, made an appeal on December 8, 2023, to visit them in Imralı Prison through the chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa, but have not received a response.
(09/037) Police Intervention Against a Protest in Istanbul…
The police intervened in the demonstration organized by Anadolu Association for Assistance and Solidarity with Families who Lost Their Relatives (ANYAKAYDER) in the Bahçelievler district of Istanbul on December 7, 2023, to protest the delivery of PKK militants’ bodies to their families in cardboard boxes, and detained 46 people, including Istanbul Co-Chair of Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP) by using physical violence and handcuffing them behind their backs. It is learned that HEDEP Youth Assembly Spokesperson Edanur İbrahimoğlu was injured on her face during the intervention. Names of the detainees are Murat Kalmaz, Turan Kizilkaya, Gülsüm Dağ, Mehmet Aydemir, Gülsün Öztürk, Mihriban Aydın, Edanur İbrahimoğlu, Faysal Özdeş, Aslan Demir, Mehmet Arınç, Veysel Öztaş, İbrahim Uzun, Dilek Demir, Şafi Erol, Rıza Kaplan, Mehmet Şirin, Hüseyin Akbaş, Fatma Yılmaz, Makbule Yılmaz, Sinem Yıldırım, Behiye Dağ, Saadet Aksu, Sipan Çoban, Türkan Acar, Asiye Aslan, Kumri Akgün, Abdülmelik Esenboğa, Selma Yılmaz, Rojda Yılmaz, Hüseyin Atbaş, Sedat Sönmez, Zeki Orhan, Pınar Kandal, Hülya Güler, Sinem Karabaş, Netice Aydemir, Reşit Ertuğrul, Nurten Varlık, Cahide Avşar.
(12/068) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The trial of the case against Dicle Müftüoğlu, Co-Chair of Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and editor of Mezopotamya Agency (MA), started on December 7, 2023 at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 4. Dicle Müftüoğlu attended the hearing via SEGBİS from prison. It is learned that the court decided to continue the detention of Dicle Müftüoğlu before the completion of the defences. The next hearing of the case will be held on January 18, 2024. Dicle Müftüoğlu was arrested on May 3, 2023.
(12/069) Journalist on Trial in Diyarbakır…
The final hearing of the case against journalist Beritan Canözer was held at Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No 10 on December 8, 2023. The court dismissed the case against Beritan Canözer on the grounds that the case file was duplicate.
(12/070) Journalists on Trial in Istanbul…
The trial of the case against journalists Osman Akın and Veysi Sarısözen continued on December 7, 2023, at Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No 13. The indictment demands a sentence for 2 journalists on the charge of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization.’ The court adjourned the hearing to April 3, 2024.
(12/071) Journalist on Trial in Izmir…
The final hearing of the case against Jinnews reporter Nazlıcan Yıldız was held on December 7, 2023, at Izmir Heavy Penal Court No 21. The indictment demands Nazlıcan Yıldız be sentenced for ‘being a member of an illegal organization’. The court acquitted Nazlıcan Yıldız.
Nazlıcan Yıldız was detained on February 6, 2023, arrested by the court on February 7, 2023, and released at the first hearing of the case held on April 11, 2023.
(12/072) Journalist on Trial in Istanbul…
The final hearing of the case against Yetkin Yıldız, Editor-in-Chief of the shut-down aktifhaber.com, was held on December 7, 2023, at Istanbul Bakırköy Penal Court of First Instance No 31. The court sentenced Yetkin Yıldız to 1 year in prison for ‘slander’.
(12/073) French Journalists and Cartoonist on Trial in Ankara…
On December 7, 2023, Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No. 2 continued to hear the case against Charlie Hebdo’s general director Julien Serignac, editor-in-chief Gerard Biard, executive editor Laurent Sorurisseau and cartoonist Alice for a cartoon on the cover of Charlie Hebdo magazine about President Tayyip Erdoğan. The court adjourned the hearing to May 23, 2024.
(12/074) Filmmaker on Trial in Istanbul…
It is learned from the news coverage of December 7, 2023, that the sentence of 2 years and 1 month given to filmmaker Özay Şahin on the charge of ‘aiding an illegal organization’ in the case on Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 21 was approved by Penal Department No. 3 of Istanbul Regional Court.
(12/075) Sol Parti Executive Under Investigation…
It is learned that two separate investigations were initiated against Left Party spokesperson Önder İşleyen on the charges of ‘insulting the President’ and ‘publicly degrading the Turkish Nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the judicial bodies of the State’ on the grounds of his writings and speeches between 2015 and 2022; and that Önder İşleyen gave his official statement to Ankara Security Directorate Security Branch on December 7, 2023.
(12/076) Ban of Access to Web Content…
It is learned that the news reports on https://www.birgun.net, https://www.gazetepencere.com, and https://haber.sol.org.tr websites about the ban of access to the news reports on bribery allegations in the courthouse were deleted on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Istanbul Penal Court of Peace No. 6 on December 5, 2023.
It is learned that the news reports about a relative of the President on https://www.birgun.net and https://www.diken.com.tr websites were deleted on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of Peace No. 2 on December 5, 2023.
It is learned that Samsun Penal Court of Peace No. 1 ruled on December 5, 2023, to delete the names of alleged tobacco smugglers who filed a complaint against the police officer from the news reports on https://www.birgun.net, https://www.yenicaggazetesi.com.tr and https://www.birgun.net/tv websites on the grounds of violation of personal rights.
It is learned that 7 social media posts by journalist Metin Cihan about the trade from Turkey to Israel were ruled to be deleted by Istanbul Anadolu Penal Court of Peace No. 2 on December 5, 2023.
[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.