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9 – 11 April 2022 HRFT Documentation Center Daily Human Rights Report

Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Center[1][2][3][4][5]

9 – 11 April 2022 Daily Human Rights Report

(04/111) Soldiers Died in Adana…

It is learned that 2 soldiers (Yusuf Avan and Burak Şahin) died and 3 soldiers got injured in the military car accident in Kozan district of Adana on April 9, 2022.

(04/112) Person Injured by Police Vehicle Hit in Şırnak…

It is learned that lawyer Serkan Karakaş got injured due to being hit by a police car in Şırnak on April 10, 2022.

It is learned that the police officer driving the car was detained and said “I am not in a good psychology. I heard voices from the unknown and I hit as I was going back” in his official statement.

(04/113) Person Threatened by Police in Izmir…

It is learned from the news coverage of April 8, 2022, that a motorcycle courier in Izmir was threatened by the police stopping him and saying “I will shoot you in the brain” and “I will break your nose and mouth.”

The courier stated the following to the press: “I was going in the opposite direction, near Balatçık at 09.50 p.m. on Friday. I saw the traffic police coming towards me. I continued on my way to fulfil my order. Because the package was an order I had to deliver. Later, I saw the traffic policeman appear in my mirror, he was right behind me. I pulled over. He said ‘You are escaping. We will impose penalty’, he was pulling a gun on me. He did not point it at my face but he took out his gun. After that, he said, ‘If you run away, I will shoot you in the brain’. I said, ‘I stopped anyway, why did you take such an attitude?’, and they said, ‘We sounded the siren, we made an announcement, you didn’t hear it’. I said I couldn’t hear because of my headphones and helmet.”

(04/114) People Subjected to Physical Violence of Municipality Police in Van…

It is learned from the news coverage of April 8, 2022 that, people who were selling tea on streets of Van were subjected to physical violence of the municipality police and their sales tools were seized.

(04/115) Attack on District Council Member in Kayseri…

Sedat Kılınç, the Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) council member in Kocasinan district of Konya, was attacked by a group claiming to be members of the nationalist grey wolves organisation, as he arrived to a local television channel’s building to be the guest of a programme after he resigned from his party. It is learned that journalist Azim Deniz was also subjected to physical violence of the group, and 2 of them got injured in the attack. Kayseri Provincial Security Directorate announced that 6 people were detained in relation to the attack.

(04/116) Attack on SYKP Member in Ankara…

It is learned that a member of the Socialist Refoundation Party (SYKP) was injured as a result of the attack by a racist group in Çankaya district of Ankara on April 8, 2022

(04/117) Racist Attack in Karaman…

It is learned from the news coverage of April 9, 2022 that, Kurdish students at the student dormitory of Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University in Karaman were attacked by a racist group for they were dancing the halay with Kurdish music on March 31, 2022. It is also stated in the news reports that the attackers stole their phones and made racist social media posts over their accounts.

(04/118) Racist Attack on Armenian Schools in Istanbul…

It is learned from the news coverage of April 10, 2022 that racist symbols were drawn by unknown persons on the gates of two Armenian schools in Şişli district of Istanbul.

(04/119) Torture and Ill-Treatment in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of April 8, 2022 that, Mehmet Salih Filiz, an ill prisoner who was transferred to Bodrum Prison under coercion, was subjected to torture and ill-treatment as he rejected strip search at the entrance of prison, and that he was put in a solitary cell.

It is learned from the news coverage of April 9, 2022 that, 3 prisoners (Bilal Babahan, Vedat Kalın and Ferit Kaşçı) in Ağrı Patnos L Type Prison were subjected to physical violence of the correction officers after being handcuffed and they were injured as a result of violence.

It is learned from the news coverage of April 9, 2022 that, the phone conversation of İbrahim Ayaz, a prisoner in Diyarbakır High Security Prison No 1, with his family, was interrupted as he was talking about torture and ill-treatment that he has been subjected to.

(04/120) Hunger Strike in Prison…

It is learned from the news coverage of April 10, 2022 that, prisoners in Ağrı Patnos L Type Prison went on a 5-day hunger strike in groups to protest the torture and ill-treatment against 3 prisoners.

(04/121) Meeting Request with Abdullah Öcalan Not Responded…

It is learned that the appeal made on April 8, 2022 to chief public prosecutor’s office in Bursa by families and tutelary of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, and Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş in Imralı Prison, in order to visit them was not responded.

(04/122) Police Intervention to a Protest in Ankara…

The police intervened the press declaration of Yasin Keskin, who demands to be reinstated to his job at Çankaya Municipality, outside of municipality building on April 8, 2022 and forced him away from the building by using physical violence.

(04/123) Police Intervention to a Protest in Istanbul…

The police intervened the press declaration to support Sibel Balaç and Gökhan Yıldıırım who are on death fast in prison, held at Galatasaray Square in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on April 8, 2022 and detained 2 people (Feridun Osmanağaoğlu and Burak Başer). Detained people are released on April 9, 2022.

(04/124) Detained Person in Batman…

Yahya Karabaş, who was detained in Kozluk district of Batman on March 31, 2022 and was subjected to torture and ill-treatment under custody before he was released by the court, is detained once again on the grounds of new evidence on April 10, 2022.

(04/125) Journalist on Trial in Van…

It is learned that the 8 months and 22 days of jail sentence given to journalist Hikmet Tunç, on the grounds of insulting the trustee appointed to Van municipality is reversed, and that she made her official statement to Van Penal Court of First Instance on April 8, 2022.

(04/126) Kobanê Case…

The trial of the case against 108 members and executives of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) including former co-chairs, including 21 arrestees, is held at Ankara Heavy Penal Court No 22 between March 28 and April 8, 2022.

It is learned that on March 28, 2022, the court rejected to stop proceedings as demanded by the defendant lawyers, on the grounds of the investigation against former chief judge Bahtiyar Çolak. Bahtiyar Çolak who was the judge accepting the indictment, was detained and released on house confinement and was also suspended from his position by the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK).

It is learned that witness Zuhat Özkan in Antalya S Type Closed prison is heard at the trial on March 29, 2022. Zuhat Özkan stated the following: “I participated in the protest against ISIS crimes against humanity. There was a march, the police attacked us. I have nothing to do with the people you named. They did not lead me. As a citizen, I protested against ISIS, and today I am protesting against ISIS”. Regarding his statement that he participated in protests with threats in 2014, Zuhat Özkan stated the following: “The police wrote it himself, many people had the same statements. There is no such thing, no one came to our house. That expression is not mine. At that time, I was taken to Muş Prison. All those arrested with me have made the same statement. I gave the same statement while I had a case in Patnos. There is no contradiction in my statement. In my first statement, there was no lawyer, in my second statement, the lawyer was present with me.”

It is learned that on March 30, 2022, the court accepted Ahmet Türk’s request to be excluded from the hearings, and decided to reject the excuses of the politicians who did not attend the hearing by giving excuses.

In the trial held on April 1, 2022, the court rejected the former HDP spokesperson Günay Kubilay’s request for recusation, on the grounds that it was aimed at prolonging the trials. It was learned that N. K., who was heard as a witness, said that he did not know why he was involved in the case, that he knew the politicians on trial as a member of parliament, that he went to the police station because his son was kidnapped, and filed a missing person statement.

Sami Baran, who was heard as a witness at the trial of the case held on April 4, 2022, stated the following in his statements: “I have a serious illness. I have a problem with my ears. They may have asked something, I would have said yes. I was out of my mind when I said this. The police had notes and papers about these people. ‘Is there such a thing?’ they asked. I have no information about it. Outside of the political arena, I have no way of knowing what these people are doing. When my statement was taken, I did not have a lawyer with me.”

It was learned that at the trial held on April 5, 2022, the report about the health problems of the previous chief judge Bahtiyar Çolak was added to the file. A debate took place after the lawyers’ request to speak on the medical report was rejected by the court board, the chief judge took a report about the lawyers Cahit Kırkazak, Kenan Maçoğlu and Cihan Aydın on the grounds of “taking the floor without permission”.

It is learned that on April 6, 2022, the request of the politicians to be informed before the witness hearings was rejected by the court.

It is learned that on April 7, 2022, the prosecutor’s office demanded continuation of the detention of the imprisoned politicians on the grounds of “strong suspicion of crime”.

On April 8, 2022, the court decided to release one person (Nezir Çakan) and reject the other requests for release and adjourned the trial to be held between April 25, 2022 and May 13, 2022.

The court has released 4 people (former Kars co-mayor Ayhan Bilgen who was replaced by a trustee, HDP’s former central executive board members Berfin Özgü Köse, Can Memiş and Cihan Erdal) at the trial held on June 15, 2021; and released 4 people (Zeki Çelik and former parliamentary members İbrahim Binici, Emine Beyza Üstün, Emine Ayna) on June 25, 2021. The number of arrested politicians has raised to 22 after the arrest of Zeynep Kahraman, who was detained in Edirne on December 28, 2021.

(04/127) Constitutional Court Decision on Leyla Güven…

It is learned from the news coverage of April 9, 2022 that the Constitutional Court decided on the individual appeal of former HDP Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Leyla Güven. The Constitutional Court ruled that the re-arrest of Leyla Güven, who was re-elected in the 2018 parliamentary elections, following the objection to her release, is a violation of her right to personal freedom and security.

(04/128) Person on Trial in Ankara…

It is learned that the 8 the 8 years, 1 month and 15 days prison sentence given to Sibel Balaç, who is on death fast to demand a fair trial, was approved by the Penal Department No 3 of the Court of Cassation on April 8, 2022.

(04/129) Person on Trial in Izmir…

The trial of the case against ill prisoner Devrim Ayık in Eskişehir H Type Prison, is held at Izmir Heavy Penal Court No 2 on April 8, 2022. Devrim Ayık attended the trial. The court decided to continue detention of Devrim Ayık and adjourned the trial to June 3, 2022.

(04/130) Ban of Access to Web Contents…

It is learned that the news reports regarding a tender during the term of former Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan, published on https://www.sozcu.com.tr, https://www.yenicaggazetesi.com.tr, https://www.milligazete.com.tr websites are banned to access on the grounds of violation of personal rights by Istanbul Bakırköy Penal Court of Peace No 4 on March 29, 2022.

(04/131) Detentions and Arrests in Alleged Link to Coup Attempt…

On April 8, 2022, 20 people are detained in operations covering 2 cities through an Istanbul based investigation.

(04/132) Covid-19 Pandemic…

The Ministry of Health declared that 31 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and the daily number of Covid-19 cases is 7,120 as of April 8, 2022.

The Ministry of Health declared that 35 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and the daily number of Covid-19 cases is 6,986 as of April 9, 2022.

The Ministry of Health declared that 32 people died due to Covid-19 pandemic and the daily number of Covid-19 cases is 5,609 as of April 10, 2022.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Turkey increased to 98,409 and total number of confirmed ill patients is 14,958,974 as of April 10, 2022.

[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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[3]https://www.facebook.com/TIHV.HRFT

[4] https://twitter.com/insanhaklari

[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.