GENERAL REPORT: Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) – APRIL 2013
01 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/001) Investigation on Turgut Özal… – On 31 March 2013 a “suspect” interrogated just 17 days before the 20 years of limitation of time of the death of Turgut Özal, Eighth President of the Republic of Turkey, on 17 April 1993. Retired General Hurşit Tolon, who is a pre-trial detainee of Ergenekon and Zirve Press Cases, was interrogated on the death of Turgut Özal. With this new development the limitation of time for the incident was protracted 10 more years.
(04/002) Violence in primary school…
E.M. (9) a student of Hasan Özvarnalı Primary School was beaten by his teacher C.Ö.K. and he got a heath report due to the bruises in his/her body in Silivri District of İstanbul Province reported on 1 April 2013.
(04/003) Mahir Zorbey Demirkaya Case…
Turkey’s main forensics institute did not the claims of Mehmet Saylam, police officer, who said “I slipped and then my gun fired” in the case of Mahir Zorbey Demirkaya – a compulsory drafting fugitive who was killed by police fire during his transport to prison.
Turkey’s main forensics institute did not the claims of police officer who said “I slipped and then my gun fired” in the Demirkaya case.
According to an article written by İsmail Saymaz on Radikal newspaper, a forensics institute report submitted to the court said: “We declare that it was impossible the gun shots have been made while losing balance during falling, and that the guns shots have been made by pulling the trigger two consecutive times.”
On 4 March 2012, Demirkaya was detained by the police for “holding a minor”. In the meanwhile, police detected that Demirkaya was a compulsory drafting fugitive and ordered to serve 10 months of prison.
Following that, Demirkaya reportedly asked the release of his handcuffs to embrace his mother. A police officer shot him in the head as he ran away after the release of his handcuffs.
Suspect Saylam claimed that he shot Demirkaya by mistake, which led to his acquittal by court. After a prosecutor objected the court decision, Saylam has been arrested by the court again.
On 10 May 2012, on the first hearing, the court released Saylam on the “changing possibility of crime’s nature”, despite prosecutor’s charges for “deliberate murder” of Saylam.
02 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/004) Ongoing KCK Case in Ağrı Province…
On 1 April 2013 Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against the 15 defendants –seven pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to the KCK/TM operation on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC in Doğubayazıt District of Ağrı Province on 3 December 2011.
The court heard the legal argument of of the defendants in Kurdish and Turkish and released Adil Çoban, Adem Şahin and Talat Aktaş.
(04/005) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…
Ankara Bar Association made an official complaint on 30 March 2013 and torture was inflicted on the detainees A.M., İ.G., H.K. in Ankara security Directorate’s Homicide Department.
The suspects were “forced to strip off their clothes, beaten, subjected to pressured water and intruded from the anus of with baton” claimed in the petition the Ankara Bar Association on 30 March 2013.
Lawyer Hikmet Balkan Tunalı and Lawyer Mustafa Kaymak had gone to investigate the allegations and they were not allowed to meet with their clients and Hikmet Balkan Tunalı was forced to leave the building and beaten outside of it.
(04/006) Tried students…
Two Dicle University students -Şevin Batu and Özge Torun- who had been detained before the march for the commemoration of Aydın Erdem who had been killed in the protest in Diyarbakır Province on 6 December 2009 on the grounds that they are the organisers of the march on 6 December 2012 were arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” on 10 December 2012.
On 1 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 9 went on hearing the case against the two students and read the supplementary indictment and decided to released Şevin Batu and Özge Torun before adjourning the hearing.
(04/007) The case launched against the lawyer who had been beaten in the station…
Police officers were allegedly attacked on lawyer Bülent Kurt who went to Aksaray Police Headquarters to get information about his clients in İstanbul Province on 22 September 2011.
After the incident both parties had made official complaints against each other. Ministry of Justice had authorised the prosecution office for the investigation against Lawyer Bülent Kurt despite the opposite argument of the prosecutor. A case was launched against the lawyer in Bakırköy Heavy Penal Court No. 7 on charges of “resisting”, reported on 2 April 2013.
The investigation against the officers is still pending.
(04/008) Ongoing investigation on the forced disappearance incident in Mardin Province…
Süleyman Seyhan, Abdurrahman Coşkun, Hikmet Kaya, Abdullah Olcay, Mehmet Emin Aslan, Nedim Akyön, Seyhan Doğan and Davut Altınkaynak who had been living in Bağözü Village of Dargeçit District of Mardin Province and disappeared after they had been arrested by gendarmerie forces on 29 October 1995. The investigation on the forced disappearance incident will include Gümüşlük Municipality (of Bodrum District) Mayor Mehmet Tire (former Dargeçit District Gendarmerie Commander) and Çepni Municipality (of Sivas Province) Mayor Hurşit İmren (former Mardin Province Gendarmerie Commando Commander) and 4 others as suspects, reported on 2 April 2013.
After the murder of two teachers in Bağözü Village on 29 October 1995 seven villagers aged from 13 to 57 had been arrested. The body of the villager Süleyman Seyhan without his head had been found in a well after 4 months. In 2012 three skulls and other bones were found around the same well and the investigation was restarted. Forensic Medicine Institute determined that some of the bones were belonged to Mehmet Emin Aslan.
03 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/009) Ongoing case on the Diyarbakır Prison Massacre…
On 2 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 3 went on hearing the case against 29 soldiers, 36’ police officers, one prison physician, 2 prison directors, 4 guardians total 62 defendants in connection with the Diyarbakır Prison Massacre in Diyarbakır E Type of Closed Prison on 24 September 1996. The prosecutor asked the court to give additional time to prepare supplementary indictment on the grounds that some of the defendants will tried for the first time and the court accepted the demand.
On 24 September 1996 hundreds of soldiers, officers and guardians had attacked on the 33 prisoners with sticks, and batons in Diyarbakır Prison and killed 10 of them. The rest of the prisoners were transferred to Gaziantep E Type of Closed Prison.
On 27 February 2006 the local court had sentenced 62 defendants to 5 years of imprisonment and 3 years of public service on charges of “killing more than one person with excessive use of force” and “misconduct in office” and acquitted 3 defendants. The court had also adjudicated to drop cases against 7 defendants due to limitation of time.
The Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chamber No. 1 annulled the verdict and demanded from the local court to try the defendants on charges of “homicide with monstrous sentiments and torturing”.
(04/010) ongoing hate murder case in Diyarbakır Province…
On 3 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 3 went on hearing the case on the murder of R.Ç. (17) by his father M.Ç., and two of his uncles Ş.Ç. and A.Ç. with a firearm on the grounds that he was a gay in Diyarbakır Province in June 2012. The court adjudicated to go on the hearings without observers after the relatives of the defendants verbally and physically interfered to the LGBT organisations. The hearing was adjourned to 30 April 2013.
(04/011) Coercion in prison…
Mustafa Kocalar made a public statement in the Human Rights Association (IHD) İstanbul Branch on 2 April 2013 and stated that his brother Mehmet Kocalar who has been a pre-trial detainee in Tekirdağ F Type Close Prison No. 2 forced to stripped naked to be searched every time he gets out of his unit due to the platinum in his leg and he was beaten by the guardians who were named as “Team A” on the grounds that he objected the practice.
(04/012) Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 2 April 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.
(04/013) Acquitted former deputy…
On 2 April 2013 Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No. 21 went on hearing the case against Sevahir Bayındır, former deputy of Şırnak Province from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) (2007-2011) in connection with her speech in Kurdish in the BDP’s First Extraordinary Grand Congress in 2010 on charges of “violating the law on political parties”. The court adjudicated to acquit Sevahir Bayındır on the grounds that the article she has been charged with was annulled.
(04/014) Tried people…
On 2 April 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 went on hearing the case against six defendants including Grup Yorum member Seçkin Aydoğan who had been detained in home raids in Nurtepe Quarter of Kâğıthane District of İstanbul Province on 13 December 2011.
In the previous hearing the prosecutor had announced his legal argument on the essence of the case against the defendants -Melis Ciddioğlu, Cemray Baş, Seçkin Aydoğan, Gürkan Türkoğlu, Eser Morsümbül and Hazal Kaya- and asked their imprisonment up to 10 years and 3 months of imprisonment to 39 years and 6 months of imprisonment on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC, “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law, “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”, “resisting public officers due to his duty” and “harming public goods”.
The court heard the legal argument of the defendants on the essence of the case. The hearing was adjourned to 20 June 2013.
(04/015) Ongoing KCK Case in İstanbul Province…
On 2 April 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 23 went on hearing the case against 17 defendants -16 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in İstanbul Province on 17 January 2012. The court heard the defendants in Kurdish and Turkish and released Asiye Yılmaz, Bişar Uzun, Celal Alphan, Emrullah Bingül, Gülüm Bayram, Kemal Dülğer and Tahsin Karçık before adjourning the hearing to 13 June 2013.
(04/016) Convicted person…
Suphi Yalçınkaya and his two brothers had been detained in Esenyurt District of İstanbul Province on the grounds that he was the one of the top executives of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) on 7 December 2011.
On 2 April 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 16 sentenced Suphi Yalçınkaya to 10 years of imprisonment on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC. His brothers -İmam Yalçınkaya and Cevher Yalçınkaya- were acquitted.
(04/017) Arrested party executive…
BDP Kars Province Branch Chairperson Şerafettin İldirim, Merkez District Branch Chairperson Kemal Bulgan and Democratic Society Congress delegate Şemistan Ayazdır were arrested on the grounds that they had participated in the protest about the anniversary of the day in which Abdullah Öcalan was brought to Turkey (15 February 1999 in Kars Province on 2 April 2013.
04 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/018) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Three teachers Mehmet Gül, Şahin Kum and Erkan Çiğdem who had been taken to the police station with their hands cuffed were beaten in the police vehicle in Iğdır Province on 31 March 2013 reported with a public statement on 3 April 2013.
Mehmet Gül told what had happened the day of the incident as follows: We went to take Erkan Çiğdem from the apartment of his sister. His sister had called police because she made a complaint against the executive of the building. A quarrel began between the police officers and the sister and we tried to calm down the parties. Police officers invited us to the station. On our way to the station 4-5 police vehicles surrounded the vehicle that we were in and we became nervous what we heard from the radio: “suspects are running, apprehend”. They asked our ID cards and they said they will make body search in Topçular Quarter. We asked what has been going on and said “we are teachers, do you have caught warrants?” They sprayed pepper gas, kicked and punched. Some of htem even bite out arms. They insulted us. They beat us by making us lay on the floor of the minibus with our hands cuffed”
(04/019) Ramazan Elçi Murder…
On 23 December 2012 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 6 adjudicated to exhumation of the grave that belong allegedly Ramazan Elçi for the DNA test who had been killed on 14 February 1994 in the Gendarmerie Intelligence and Fighting with Terrorism Department (JITEM) case against 7 defendants in connection with the 20 murder by unknown assailants during the period of Cizre Gendarmerie District Commarder Cemal Temizöz between 1993 and 1995.
On the verdict on 2 March 2012 the that considered to be the Ramazan Elçi’s in the Graveyard of Unidentified People in Cizre District was exhumed and the DNA gathered from the bones was compared with the ones from the his sons Mehmet Elçi and Mesut Elçi.
The DNA comparison report was reached to Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 6 reported on 3 April 2013. According to the report it is determined that he remnants are 99.99% belonged to the person who is the father of Mehmet and Mesut Elçi. It is also mentioned in the report that Ramazan Elçi was killed with a firearm despite the fact that “heart attack” had been written in his identity records.
(04/020) Feyzullah Ete Case…
Bakirköy Heavy Penal Court No. 10 had sentenced the police officer Ali Mutlu to five years of imprisonment in connection with killing Feyzullah Ete with a kick in his chest in Avcilar District of Istanbul Province on 21 November 2007 on charges of “homicide with wounding” on 9 April 2009.
The Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chambers No. 1 annulled the verdict. The court reheard the case and convicted the police officer with the sentence reported on 4 April 2013.
(04/021) The case of Zirve Press Massacre…
Malatya Chief Public Prosecution Office had finalised the new indictment on the murder of Tilman Ekkehart Geske, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel in Zirve Press in Malatya on 18 April 2007 sent it to Malatya Heavy Penal Court No. 3 to be evaluated reported on 9 June 2012. Malatya Heavy Penal Court No. 3 accepted the indictment against 19 defendants on 22 June 2012.
On 3 April 2013 the court went on hearing the merged cases against 19 defendants and heard the demands of the defendants and lawyers and some voice records and adjudicated to demand the information and documents from Ankara Chief Public Prosecution Office on Türkiye Ulusal Stratejiler ve Hareket Dairesi/National strategies and Movements Department (TUSHAD), special Task Force Command, black and white forces and Gendarmerie Intelligence and Fighting with Terrorism Department (JITEM).
(04/022) Coercion in prison…
On 28 March 2013 Mehmet Bıldırcın, Mustafa Abacı, Mehmet Doğan were transferred from Kürkçüler (Adana) F Type of Closed Prison to Ceyhan M Type of Closed Prison against their will reported on 3 April 2013.
05 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/023) Death in prison…
Harun Torgay, who had been detained from the KCK investigation launched after the fight in Ankara University Faculty of Letters (Dil and Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi(DTCF)) on 12 November 2012 with ten other students and who had had his first hearing on 3 April 2013, hanged himself in his unit in Sincan F Type of Closed Prison No. 2 on 4 April 2013.
(04/024) People beaten by police teams…
Police teams interfered to the fight between two students of Anadolu Vocational High School and cuffed their hands before beating them in Bismil District of Diyarbakır Province on 3 April 2013. Mesut Eşen who had recorded the incident with his cell phone was also beaten and taken to the District security Directorate. Meanwhile special task force police officer also came into the garden of the school and beat several students.
(04/025) Suicide attempt in prison…
S.S. attempted suicide by hanging himself in the bathroom of his dormitory in Kırşehir E Type of Closed Prison and saved by his friends on 3 April 2013.
(04/026) Impunity in the investigation of Ceylan Önkol…
Ceylan Önkol (14) had been killed with the fire from the gendarmerie headquarters or with the explosion of an item she had found in Birlik Village of Lice District of Diyarbakır Province on 28 September 2009.
Lice Public Prosecutor Mustafa Kamil Çolak was not taken to the scene of incident by the Abalı Gendarmerie Headquarters due to security. An investigation was launched against the officers in the headquarters on charges of “misconduct in office” on 24 October 2009. The investigation was resulted with nolle prosequi on 4 April 2013.
(04/027) Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 4 April 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.
(04/028) Coercion in prison…
Twenty pre-trial detainees and convicts from Muş E Type of Closed Prison were transferred to Ümraniye (İstanbul) T Type of Closed Prison against their will reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/029) Coercion in prison…
Ten pre-trial detainees and convicts from Bingöl M Type Closed Prison were transferred to Amasya E Type of Closed Prison against their will reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/030) Coercion in prison…
İlyas Arzu and Ercan Alp from Gaziantep H Type of Closed Prison were transferred to Ceyhan (Adana) M Type of Closed Prison against their will reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/031) Coercion in prison…
Çetin Arkaş and Nasrullah Kuran from Bolu F Type of Closed Prison were transferred to Nazilli (Manisa) E T Type of Closed Prison against their will reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/032) Coercion in prison…
Eleven pre-trial detainees and convicts from Kürkçüler (Adana) F Type of Closed Prison were transferred to Kırıkkale F Type of Closed Prison against their will reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/033) Coercion in prison…
Ten pre-trial detainees and convicts in Şakran (İzmir) T Type of Closed Prison No. 2 were banned from communication for 2 months; 11 pre-trial detainees and convicts for five months reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/034) Coercion in prison…
Eight pre-trial detainees and convicts who had been transferred from Erzurum H Type of Closed Prison to Tekirdağ F Type of Closed Prison No. 1 on 28 January 2013 were sentenced to ban of communication for one month on the grounds that they objected cavity search reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/035) Closure case against the associations…
Van Chief Public Prosecution Office prepared an indictment for the closure of Mezopotamya Yakınlarını Kaybeden Ailelerle Yardımlaşma and Dayanışma Derneği (MEYA-DER), Tutuklu and Hükümlü Yakınları Demokratik Hukuk and Yardımlaşma Derneği (TUYAD-DER), Van Göç Sorunlarını Bilimsel Araştırma and Kültür Derneği (Van GÖÇ-DER), Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Öğrenci Derneği (YÖDER), Van Kadın Derneği (VAKAD), Van Hacıbekir Mahallesi Özgür Yurttaş Derneği, Seyit Fehim Arvasi Mahallesi Özgür Toplum Derneği, Yeni Mahalle Özgür Halk Derneği, Kürt Dili Araştırma and Geliştirme Derneği (KURDİ-DER) Van Branch and Akköprü Mahallesi Demokratik Halk Derneği according to the Law on the Prevention of Finance of Terrorism.
On 4 April 2013 Van Penal Court of First Instance No. 3 began to hear the closure case against ten NGOs and heard the lawyer of the VAKAD, the lawyers who had participated in the hearing on behalf of ten associations demanded additional time to prepare written defence. The court accepted the demand and adjourned the hearing to 17 Ma 2013.
(04/036) Tried students…
On 3 April 2013 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 13 began to hear the case against 14 students -11 pre-trial detainees- who had been arrested from the KCK investigation launched after the fight in Ankara University Faculty of Letters (Dil and Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi(DTCF)) on 12 November 2012, and detained the next day on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC and “wounding”.
The court released the pre-trial detainees Servet Başak and Erkan Eryiğit.
06-08 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/037) Suspicious death in Diyarbakır…
The body of Murat İzol (19), who had allegedly jumped in to the Tigris River after police officers had opened fire on the grounds that he had not obeyed the stop warning in Fiskaya Quarter of Diyarbakır Province on 28 March 2013, was found near the Ongözlü Bridge on the Tigris River on 7 April 2013.
Witnesses claimed that there was a bullet hole in the head of Murat İzol. The Human Rights Association’s/İnsan Hakları Derneği (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch executives stated that they were present during the autopsy control of Murat İzol and his reason of death will become cleared after the report of the Forensic Medicine Institute.
(04/038) Racist attack in Muğla Province…
Right wingers attacked on the building that the Kurdish students have been living with firearms in Ula District of Muğla Province on 4 April 2013.
(04/039) Racist attack in Ankara Province…
Two people were wounded in the attack on the building of Kurdish families in Sincan District of Ankara Province on 7 April 2013.
(04/040) Racist attack in Afyon Province…
Two people were wounded in the attack of right-wingers attacked on the building that the Kurdish students have been living with firearms in Afyon 6 April 2013.
(04/041) Emrah Gezer Case…
It is reported on 5 April 2013 that the Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chamber No. 1 approved the verdict of the local court in the case on the murder of Emrah Gezer who had been killed by police officer Serkan Akbulut (32) in Ankara Province in the night of 26 December 2009 on the grounds that he sang a song in Kurdish.
On 8 September 2011 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 9 had sentenced Serkan Akbulut to life sentence on charges of “homicide” and then commuted the sentence to 19 years and 6 months of imprisonment on the grounds that Emrah Gezer initiated him by singing a song in Kurdish.
(04/042) Coercion in prison…
Eyüp Çelik was beaten in the entrance of Hatay E Type Closed Prison by soldiers. Şeyhmus Okşaner and Eyüp Çelik who had objected the practice were sentenced to solitary confinement for 5 days reported on 5 April 2013.
(04/043) Convicted former deputy…
Malatya Penal Court of Peace No. 4 sentenced Hamit Geylani former Hakkâri Deputy (2007-2011) to 5 months of imprisonment in connection with his speech in Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) Malatya Province Congress on 20 January 2008 on charges of “opposing to the Law of Political Parties” on 5 April 2013.
(04/044) Finalised KCK Case in Ağrı Province…
On 5 April 2013 Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 4 acquitted BDP Party Assembly member Rahmi Çelik and Diyadin Municipality Assembly member Hakan Kovalar on charges of being a member of KCK. They had been detained in Diyadin District of Ağrı Province.
(04/045) Ongoing KCK Case in Mardin Province…
On 5 April 2013, Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 22 defendants including Mardin deputy Gülser Yıldırım -8 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to Koma Ciwaken Kurdistan-Kurdistan Communities League /Assembly of Turkey (KCK/TM), the KCK is allegedly intended to organize the Kurdish people as an umbrella organization that includes Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) operation in Mardin Province. The court declined the demand of the defendants to make their arguments in Kurdish on the grounds that there is not any translators. The court prolonged the pre-trial detention period of the defendants till the next hearing on 28 June 2013.
(04/046) Convicted people…
Van Heavy Penal Court No. 4 had sentenced Mizgin Tetik, Abdullah Bozkır and Nihat Özek to 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment each on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7 reported on 7 April 2013. They had been arrested in Hakkâri Province on 12 October 2011 and released by the court on 17 October 2012.
(04/047) Convicted people…
Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 6 sentenced Bedir Keser, former executive of BDP’s Province Branch, to 10 months of imprisonment in connection with collecting signatures for the petition titled “Honourable Öcalan” in Gaziantep Province in 2008 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law, reported on 7 April 2013.
(04/048) Intervention to the protest in İzmir Province…
Police teams interfered to the protesting students on the grounds that they opened the poster of Abdullah Öcalan and arrested 23 students in Buca District campus of Dokuz Eylül University in İzmir Province on 5 April 2013.
(04/049) Arrested and beaten students in Eskişehir Province…
Police teams interfered to the fight between to opposite groups and arrested 32 students in Anadolu University in Eskişehir Province on 5 April 2013.
(04/050) Intervention to the people hanging posters in İstanbul Province…
Three people were arrested by police teams on the grounds that they were hanging posters calling for the Labour Day in Esenler District of İstanbul Province on 5 April 2013.
(04/051) Intervention to the protest in İstanbul Province…
Beyoğlu Municipality has been planning to demolish Emek Cinema (opened: 1924) and the building it is in (building: 1884) on Yeşilçam Street İstiklal Boulevard of İstanbul Province. Police teams interfered to the protesting group against the demolition of Emek cinemas with spraying gas and pressured water. four people were arrested in the incident on 7 April 2013.
(04/052) Intervention to the protest in İstanbul Province…
Nine members of the Youth Opposition/Gençlik Muhalefeti were arrested as they were protesting the Secretary of State John Kerry in front of the Prime Ministry’s Office in Dolmabahçe Palace in Beşiktaş District of İstanbul Province on 7 April 2013.
(04/053) Attack on party building…
Unidentified person(s) attacked on the BDP’s District Branch with stones and caused material damage in İskenderun District of Hatay Province on 5 April 2013.
09 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/054) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…
Ersin Özcan who had been arrested as he was going his home with his motorbike and taken to Gültepe Police Station was force to confess that he had stolen the electronic items that were shown to him in Kâğıthane District of İstanbul Province on 6 April 2013. He was beaten on the grounds that he had objected. Ersin Özcan lost his consciousness and he was hospitalised. Fractures in his nasal bone and chin bone and a 2 centimetres of cut in his tongue due to hit were determined. The officers reported the incident to the hospital as bike accident.
(04/055) Coercion in prison…
One-hundred-fifty pre-trial detainees and convicts in Şakran (İzmir) T Type of Closed Prison were banned from communication (letter, telegraph, telephone) for 12 months on the grounds that “they had resisted silently to the administration” and “chanted unnecessary marches and songs” reported on 8 April 2013.
(04/056) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
V.C., a student of Anadolu High School was beaten by the district governor’s guard C.K., in Gürpınar District of Van Province on 5 December 2012.
The case was finalised against the guard C.K. He had been sentenced to a fine of 2000 TL on charges of “simple wounding” reported on 8 April 2013.
(04/057) Violence in primary school…
K.A. (17) was beaten by his religion lesson teacher L.D.K. on the grounds that she was late for the class in Adana Province on 29 March 2013, Atatürk Vocational high School for Females reported on 8 April 2013.
(04/058) Ongoing KCK Case in Bursa Province…
On 8 April 2013 Bursa Heavy Penal Court No. 6 went on hearing the case against 12 Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) members who had been subjected to KCK operation in Bursa Province on 11 June 2012. The court heard some of the defendants in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to 28 June 2013 to hear the rest of them.
(04/059) Acquitted people…
On 5 April 2013 Edirne Penal Court of Peace No. 2 acquitted two executives of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) -Aykut Çavuş and Çağlar Akyüz- in connection with hanging the poster “Padişah bozuntusu, sana bir çift sözümü var” in the TKP’s Edirne Province Branch in 2012 on charges of “insulting Recep Tayyip Erdoğan” under Article 125 of the TPC.
(04/060) Acquitted people…
On 3 April 2013 Bartın Penal Court of Peace acquitted 3 members of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) in connection with hanging the poster “Padişah bozuntusu, sana bir çift sözümü var” to the TKP’s Bartın Province Branch in 2012 on charges of “insulting Recep Tayyip Erdoğan” under Article 125 of the TPC.
(04/061) Beaten and arrested students in Diyarbakır Province…
Six students were wounded in the attack of right-wingers (fundamentalist Islamist group formerly named as Hezbollah) in Dicle University in Diyarbakır Province on 8 April 2013 and police teams arrested two Kurdish students.
(04/062) Intervention to the protest in İstanbul Province…
Gendarmerie teams interfered with pressured water, gas bombs and batons to the groups that would like to participate in the hearing of the Ergenekon Case in İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 13 on 8 April 2013. Several people were affected from gas bombs and the hearing was adjourned to 11 April 2013.
(04/063) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
Five students (from High School Student League) were arrested as they were handing communiqués for May Day in front of Karatay Anadolu High School in Antalya Province on 8 April 2013.
10 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/064) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…
Five students (from High School Student League) had been arrested as they had been handing communiqués for May Day in front of Karatay Anadolu High School in Antalya Province on 8 April 2013.
It is reported that they had been beaten with batons and pepper gas had been sprayed on their faces. The physician gave healthy report: “no marks of beating and force”.
(04/065) Beaten and arrested students in Diyarbakır Province…
Six students had been wounded in the attack of right-wingers (fundamentalist Islamist group formerly named as Hezbollah) in Dicle University in Diyarbakır Province on 8 April 2013 and police teams had arrested two Kurdish students.
On 9 April 2013 police officer interfered to the Kurdish students and Van Deputy Aysel Tuğluk from her head with a bottle thrown to her.
(04/066) Ongoing torture and ill-treatment in detention case…
F.C. (37) who had been beaten and arrested by the police teams on the grouds that she was not carrying her ID card in the music hall in front of her family in İzmir Province on 16 July 2011. She had been taken to Karabağlar Police Headquarters and she had been beaten and sexually harassed by police officers in plain clothes Hakan Yörük and Beyit Sezgin there. Other police officers did not interfere to their colleagues revealed out with the surveillance camera records on 9 December 2011.
The case against the physician A.K. who did not report the torture inflicted on F.C. and the police officers Ş.Ü. and C.İ. in the medical examination room on charges of “not reporting/informing the crime” and “misconduct in office” was commenced on 9 April 2013.
İzmir Penal Court of Peace No. 10 heard the legal argument of the defendants and declined the demand of the F.C. to merge the case with the torture case which has been pending in İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 6. The hearing was adjourned to 25 April 2013.
(04/067) Confiscated magazine…
All the copies of the weekly Bağımsızlık, Demokrasi and Sosyalizm için Yürüyüş Magazines Issue No. 359 published on 7 April 2013 were confiscated on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law on 8 April 2013.
(04/068) Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 9 April 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.
(04/069) Ongoing KCK Case in Siirt Province…
On 9 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 27 defendants -8 pre-trial detainees who had been subjected to the KCK operation in Kurtalan District of Siirt Province on 2011. The court adjourned the hearing to 11 June 2013 after hearing the defendants.
11 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/070) Explosion in Şırnak Province…
Ramazan Yıldız (11) was allegedly killed in the explosion of the landmine as he was pasturing his flock in the vicinity of Zêvê (Akdizgin) Village between Güçlükonak and Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 10 April 2013.
(04/071) Ongoing KCK case in Ankara Province…
On June 28-29, 2012, the Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 12 decided to arrest Osman İşçi, member of the Human Rights Association (İHD), EMHRN Executive Committee member and a member of Eğitim Sen, the Education and Science Workers Trade Union affiliated to the Confederation of Public Workers’ Trade Unions (KESK), and 27 other trade union members while 25 others were released pending the outcome of the investigation. They had been detained in home raids on 25 June 2012.
Hanım Koçyiğit, IHD’s Sakarya Province Branch executive, was also detained and later arrested in the same operation. She has been in Sincan Closed Prison for Women since then.
On 13 February 2013 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 13 had accepted the indictment against 72 defendants -28 pre-trial detainees- who had been detained and then arrested in the KCK operation against KESK in 17 provinces in June 2012. The court determined the date of the first hearing as 10 April 2013 and released 6 pre-trial detainees: SES General Secretary Sıddık Akın, Eğitim-Sen Tunceli Branch Chairperson Hasan Ölgün, Eğitim-Sen Adıyaman Branch executive Erdal Yılmaz, Eğitim-Sen member Hanım Koçyiğit, BTS Diyarbakır Branch Secretary Veysel Özhekti and Haber-Sen member Sibel Anıl on 15 February 2013.
On 10 April 2013 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 13 began to hear the case against 72 defendants -22 pre-trial detainees- released all the pre-trial detainees after having their ID check and legal argument. The hearing was adjourned to 8 July 2013.
(04/072) Beaten and arrested students in Diyarbakır Province…
Six students were wounded in the attack of right-wingers (fundamentalist Islamist group formerly named as Hezbollah) in Dicle University in Diyarbakır Province on 8 April 2013 and police teams arrested two Kurdish students.
The fight went on also on 10 April 2013 and 7 other students were wounded. The police officers raided on Science Faculty and arrested 60 students.
(04/073) Convicted people…
On 10 April 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 5 finalised the case against BDP Hakkâri Merkez District Branch Chairperson Fikret Erik, Nebi Kurt, Nurettin Kurt and Emirhan Ergüder who had been arrested in the home raids in the framework of the KCK investigation in Hakkâri Province in 27 December 2011.
Van Heavy Penal Court No. 5 heard the defendants in Kurdish and sentenced them to 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment each on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC.
(04/074) Convicted people…
On 10 April 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 5 finalised the case against Ömer Balıkesir, Abdülkadir Çiftçi and Abdülkerim Tekçe who had been arrested in the home raids in the framework of the KCK investigation in Hakkâri Province in September 2011.
The court sentenced Ömer Balıkesir to 7 years and 6 months of imprisonment, Abdülkadir Çiftçi to 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC and acquitted Abdülkerim Tekçe.
(04/075) Tried villagers…
Six out of the 11 people who had been arrested in the home raids of the gendarmerie soldiers in the framework of the KCK investigation in Dêzê (Kırıkdağ) Village of Hakkâri Province on 19 December 2012 were detained on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7 on 22 December 2012.
On 10 April 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 12 defendants -6 pre-trial detainees. The court adjourned the hearing to 30 May 2013.
(04/076) Intervention to the protest in Ankara Province…
Ten students were arrested as they protesting the activity titled “Turkey’s Scientific Future” organised by President Abdullah Gül in the entrance of the Presidential Residence in Ankara Province on 10 April 2013.
(04/077) Finalised KCK Case in Erzincan Province…
On 10 April 2013 Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hering the case against 17defendants – 9 pre-trial detainees- who had been arrested in the KCK investigation against Erzincan University students in Erzincan Province on 7 May 2012. In the previous hearings the confidential witness was turned out to be a police officer and the witness accounts were taken out of the case file.
Sinan Salhan was sentenced to 13 years and 6 months of imprisonment, Bişar Bilen to 18 years and 6 months of imprisonment, Abdullah Kızılkaya, Yakup Kırmızı, Mehmet Bozdağ, Sadık Özbay, Yorgun Bektaşoğlu, Yaprak Oruç to 12 years of imprisonment each, Leyla Ülgen, Murat Dak and Saadet Hocaoğlu to 9 years of imprisonment each. Other defendants were acquitted.
12 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/078) Ongoing torture and ill-treatment in detention case…
Seventeen villagers had been arrested with the allegation of theft of cattle in Karaaliler Village of Bucak District of Burdur Province in March 2000 and Ali Macit, Tahir Yıldız, Salih Duran and Yunus Gürbüz were tortured severely in gendarmerie headquarters.
A snake was put inside the clothes of Salih Duran and his head was covered with a plastic bag. Eventually Salih Duran lost his mental balance. Ali Macit who had been tortured with electricity eventually died due to health problems caused by tortured.
Burdur Heavy Penal Court had sentenced the non-commissioned officers Hikmet Batur, Sedat Şükrü Anafarta and Mustafa Turguz to two years of imprisonment each and ban of public services for a year in 2008.
The Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chamber No. 8 annulled the verdict on 3 October 2011.
The court sentenced retired non-commissioned officer Sedat Şükrü Anafarta to 3 years and 9 months of imprisonment and ban of public services for a year on 11 April 2013.
(04/079) Attack on party building…
Material damage took place in the attack of unidentified people on the Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) District Branch office with stones in Çukurova District of Adana Province on 11 April 2013.
(04/080) Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 11 April 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.
(04/081) Intervention to the protest in Samsun Province…
Police teams interfered to the protestors against the stand of the ultra-nationalist Ülkü Ocakları in Ondokuz May University and detained 42 students in Samsun Province on 11 April 2013.
13-15 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/082) The case of Emrah Barlak…
Police officer İmran Kâhya killed Emrah Barlak (26) and wounded three others in the quarrel after the traffic accident between a police vehicle and a civilian one in Karabağlar District of İzmir Province on 12 August 2012 and he was arrested on 13 August 2012. The prosecutor finalised the indictment on 26 September 2012 and asked life sentence for the officer.
On 12 April 2013 İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 6 went on hearing the case against police officer İmran Kâhya and and declined the demand of the defendant to be released. The hearing was adjourned to evaluate surveillance camera records on 7 June 2013.
(04/083) Impunity in excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Five people -Mekin Aslan, Fatih Yıldız, Mevlüt Aslan, Yılmaz Yüzkan, Murat Aktar- were beaten by the police teams that stopped them with armoured police vehicle on the grounds that they ddi not show their IDs in Silvan District of Diyarbakır Province on 27 January 2013. Silvan Chief Public Prosecution Office decided nolle prosequi in the investigation that was launched after the surveillance camera records reported on 14 April 2013.
(04/084) Tried people…
A police officer and the perpetrator İbrahim Çuhadar were killed and four officers and two civilians were wounded in the suicide bombers attack on the 75th Anniversary Police Centre in Sultangazi District of İstanbul Province on 11 September 2012. İbrahim Çuhadar Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C).
On 14 September 2012, 27 people who had been waiting for the funeral of Çuhadar in front of the Forensic Medicine Institute were beaten and arrested in Yenibona District of Istanbul Province. Eight detainees were detained on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law on 18 September 2012.
On 5 July 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No.23 will begin to hear the case againast 21 defendants -8 pre-trial detainees on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation –DHKP-C” under Article 314 of TPC, “resisting and threatening public officer”, “harming public goods” and “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”, reported on 13 April 2013.
(04/085) Tried people…
Twenty-four out of the 34 members and executives of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) who had been arrested in home raids on the grounds that they had participated in the solidarity actions for hunger strikes in prison in Yıldırım District of Bursa Province in December 2012 were detained.
On 11 April 2013 Bursa Heavy Penal Court No. 6 began to hear the case against 34 defendants on charges of
“being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC, “committing offence on behalf of an organisation although he is not a member” under Article 220/6 of TPC, “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law, “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”.
At the end of the two days long court session the court released 22 pre-trial detainees and prolonged the pre-trial detention period of the defendants, BDP executives Mahir Tan, Ahmet Aras and Mehmet Kılınç and adjourned the hearing to 10 July 2013.
(04/086) Tried people…
Thirty-one out of the 61 people who had been arrested in the raids on the offices of the Democratic Rights Federation and on the houses of its members in Tunceli, Ankara, İzmir, Sivas, İstanbul, Uşak, Mersin, Adana, Antalya, Zonguldak, Çanakkale and Isparta Province on 13 November 2012, were detained on 17 November 2012. There was a secrecy decision on the investigation.
On 12 April 2013 Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 10 began to hear the case against 5 defendants on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation -Maoist Communist Party (MKP)” under Article 314 of TPC.
The court released İsa Uğur Erdoğan, Emrah Kalkan, Uğur Yıldırım, Ayşe Kaya, Gönül Dinç and Dilek Hoş after determining their IDs.
(04/087) Beaten and arrested students in Diyarbakır Province…
Six students were wounded in the attack of right-wingers (fundamentalist Islamist group formerly named as Hezbollah) in Dicle University in Diyarbakır Province on 8 April 2013 and police teams arrested two Kurdish students. The fight went on also on 10 April 2013 and 7 other students were wounded. The police officers raided on Science Faculty and arrested 60 students.
Eight out of the 60 detainees were detained on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC, resisting officers”, and “harming public goods” on 14 April 2013.
(04/088) Intervention to hanging posters in Edirne Province…
Two members of the Devrimci Gençlik (Dev-Genç) were arrested as they were hanging posters of the Grup Yorum concert which will be held in İstanbul Province, in Edirne Province on 12 April 2013.
16 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/089) Ongoing KCK Case in Mersin Province…
On 25 September 2012 46 people including the BDP’s Mersin Province co-chairpersons Musa Kullu and Aynur Aşan, IHD’s Mersin Province Chairperson Ali Tanrıverdi and DIHA reporter Ferhat Arslan were detained in synchronised home raids of the Fighting with Terrorism Department teams in the framework of the KCK investigation in six provinces and especially in Mersin Province.
25 detainees had been arrested including Kullu, Aşan and Tanrıverdi on 29 September 2012.
Besime Gülhan Yağ the coordinator of İştar Women and Consultancy Centre and Roza Yaruk the media coordinator of the Centre were arrested on 1 October 2012.
On 15 April 2013 Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 10 began to hear the case against 42 defendants and finalised the legal arguments in Kurdish. The court released all pre-trial detainees before adjourning the hearing
(04/090) Ongoing KCK Case in Ağrı Province…
On 15 April 2013 Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 4 began to hear the case against 35 defendants -9 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to the KCK investigation in Doğubayazıt District of Ağrı Province in 2012 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC. The court heard the legal arguments in Turkish and Kurdish. The pre-trial detainees were released and the hearing was adjourned to 13 May 2013.
(04/091) Convicted person…
İstanbul Penal Court of Peace No. 29 sentenced A.U. to 6 months of imprisonment in connection with his comments he made in facebook.com on charges of “insulting the religious values that a part of the people accepted” under Article 216 of the TPC reported on 15 April 2013. The case was launched with the official complaint of Orkun Şimşek.
(04/092) Convicted composer…
On 15 April 2013 İstanbul Penal Court of Peace No. 19 sentenced Fazıl Say to 10 months of imprisonment in connection with his comments in twitter on charges of “insulting the religious values that a part of the people accepted” under Article 216 of the TPC. The case was launched with the official complaint of Ali Bukağlı and Orkun Şimşek.
The announcement of the sentenced was postponed for 5 years.
17 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/093) Death in prison…
Hacı Özkara (73) who had been in Kayseri Open Prison reportedly died due to cardiac attack on 16 April 2013.
(04/094) Investigation on Turgut Özal…
On 16 April 2013, Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 13 accepted the indictment against retired general Levent Ersöz on charges of “murdering” 8th President Turgut Özal on 17 April 1993 a day before the limitation of time. The prosecutor demanded life sentence in solitary confinement and with no possibility of parole for the only defendant Levent Ersöz.
(04/095Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 16 April 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.
(04/096) Ongoing KCK Case in Şırnak Province…
On 16 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 6 went on hearing the case against 14 defendants -5 pre-trial detainees- and Silopi Mayor Emin Toğurlu who had been subjected to Koma Ciwaken Kurdistan-Kurdistan Communities League /Assembly of Turkey (KCK/TM), the KCK is allegedly intended to organize the Kurdish people as an umbrella organization that includes Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) operation in Şırnak Province on 21 September 2011.
The court heard the defendants in Kurdish and released Özlem Kutlu and Fadıl Aktı and adjourned the hearing to 26 June 2013.
(04/097) Ongoing KCK Case in Tunceli Province…
On 16 April 2013 Malatya Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against 13 defendants -6 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to Koma Ciwaken Kurdistan-Kurdistan Communities League /Assembly of Turkey (KCK/TM), the KCK is allegedly intended to organize the Kurdish people as an umbrella organization that includes Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) operation in Tunceli Province on 11 December 2012.
The court prolonged the pre-trial detention period of the six defendants and adjourned the hearing to 16 May 2013.
(04/098) Trade unionists on trial…
On 28 March 2012 the Ministry of the Interior had sent a letter to the governors of all provinces concerning protest actions of the Confederation of Trade Union in the Public Sector (KESK) on 28 and 29 March 2012 related to the “Draft Education Law 4+4+4” and the “Draft Law 4688 on Trade Unions in the Public Sector”. The strike actions that KESK planned for 28 and 29 March 2012 and the protest in Ankara had been prevented by the Police on order of the Interior Ministry of 28 March 2012. In Izmir the police intervened with truncheons, pressurized water and pepper gas, when a group had tried to gather.
A case was launched against 67 members of KESK on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” reported on 17 April 2013. The first hearing will be on 23 May 2013.
(04/099) Tried person…
On 16 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against Sevda Çağdaş a member of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) who had been detained in Koşuyolu Park after the activity organised by the Human Rights Association’s (IHD) Diyarbakır Branch for the “forced disappearance incidents” on 26 May 2012 and eventually arrested on 27 May 2012 on the grounds that she threw stones to the law-enforcement in the Newroz Celebrations in Diyarbakır Province on 18 March 2012.
In the previous hearing the court had heard the legal argument of the prosecutor on the essence of the case who demanded 12 years of imprisonment against the defendant. The lawyers of Sevda Çağdaş demanded additional time to prepare the defence on the essence of the case from the court. The court released the defendant and adjourned the hearing to 18 June 2013.
(04/100) Beaten and arrested students in İstanbul Province…
Müslüman Gençlik (Muslim Youth) attacked on the students in Literature Faculty of İstanbul University and after the attack police teams raided on the faculty, beat and arrested 57 students in İstanbul Province on 16 April 2013.
(04/101) Intervention to the protest in Ankara Province…
Police teams interfered the student group that gathered in front of the GNAT to demand the demolish of Higher Education Council and detained 11 student in Ankara Province on 16 April 2013.
(04/102) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
Police teams detained three students (members of Devrimci Liseliler (Dev-Lis)) as they were handing communiques in front of Seyhan Rotary Anadolu High School in Yüreğir District of Adana Province on 16 April 2013.
18 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/103) Extra-judicial killing in Kocaeli Province…
Muhammed Öyke (21) was killed by police teams in a traffic check point on the car, in which Öyke (from Kars Province) was sitting in the back sit, did not stop in Gebze District of Kocaeli Province on 16 April 2013.
(04/104) The case on the extra-judicial killing of Cem Aygün…
Cem Aygün (22) was shot death from the back of his neck on the grounds that he did not obey the stop warning as he was driving car in Keçiören District of Ankara Province on 30 August 2012. He had been sentenced to 13 months of imprisonment and he had to give signature to the Police Station every day. Police officer claimed that he had collapsed and his firearm had fired.
Ankara Chief Public Prosecution Office had decided nolle prosequi for police officer O.H. and for police officer Fatih Yılmaz had asked 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment on charges of “homicide with excessive use of force without intention and with reasons that annul penal responsibility”.
Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 4 began to hear the case against police officer Fatih Yılmaz on 17 April 2013. The court heard the lawyers and declined the demand of the Türkiye İnsan Hakları Vakfı (TİHV) to be the intervening party. The hearing was adjourned to 17 May 2013.
(04/105) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…
The brothers of the deceased Cem Aygün were not taken into the hearing in Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 4 against police officer Fatih Yılmaz who murdered Aygün on 17 April 2013. Nazlıcan Aygün was detained and taken into the police station inside the courthouse and beaten on the grounds that she had insisted to participate the hearing.
(04/106) Coercion in prison…
A tumour was diagnosed in the left kidney of Avni Uçar who has been in prison for 22 years (now in Siirt E Type of Closed Prison) and had became kidney and bladder cancer due to bad conditions in prison, reported on 17 April 2013. Avni Uçar’s right kidney had been taken before.
(04/107) Tried people…
Seventy-two people (members of the Patriotic Democratic Youth (YDG)) had been arrested in home raids in İstanbul Province in March 2011. On 17 April 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 11 went on hearing the case against 72 defendants -10 pre-trial detainees- and heard their defence in Kurdish and then released seven defendants -Ergün Koçak, Metin Aslan, Muhammet Gelturan, Serdar Mutlu, Nizam Özlük, Bayram Yılmaz and Evin Barış- and adjourned the hearing to 12 June 2013.
(04/108) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
Police teams arrested Özenç Özyürek a member of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) as she was hanging posters in Okmeydanı Quarter of Şişli District of İstanbul Province on 17 April 2013.
19 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/109) Mahir Zorbey Demirkaya Case…
Turkey’s main forensics institute did not the claims of Mehmet Saylam, police officer, who said “I slipped and then my gun fired” in the case of Mahir Zorbey Demirkaya – a compulsory drafting fugitive who was killed by police fire during his transport to prison.
Turkey’s main forensics institute did not the claims of police officer who said “I slipped and then my gun fired” in the Demirkaya case.
According to an article written by İsmail Saymaz on Radikal newspaper, a forensics institute report submitted to the court said: “We declare that it was impossible the gun shots have been made while losing balance during falling, and that the guns shots have been made by pulling the trigger two consecutive times.”
On 4 March 2012, Demirkaya was detained by the police for “holding a minor”. In the meanwhile, police detected that Demirkaya was a compulsory drafting fugitive and ordered to serve 10 months of prison.
Following that, Demirkaya reportedly asked the release of his handcuffs to embrace his mother. A police officer shot him in the head as he ran away after the release of his handcuffs.
Suspect Saylam claimed that he shot Demirkaya by mistake, which led to his acquittal by court. After a prosecutor objected the court decision, Saylam has been arrested by the court again.
On 10 May 2012, on the first hearing, the court released Saylam on the “changing possibility of crime’s nature”, despite prosecutor’s charges for “deliberate murder” of Saylam.
According to the report of the Specialisation Board No.1 stated unanimously that it is impossible that the gun fired spontaneously and the trigger pulled twice on 16 January 2013. Another report prepared with the demand of the family of the deceased stated on 20 September 2012 that the gun could not fire with the fall and uncontrolled way.
After the two reports the hearing went on 18 April 2013. The prosecutor made his legal argument on the essence of the case and asked the imprisonment of the defendant up tp 25 years on charges of “intentional homicide”. The court declined the detention of the defendant and adjourned the hearing to 25 April 2013.
(04/110) Case on the 12 September military coup…
On 12 September 1980 the Turkish Armed Forces under the leadership of the Commander of the General Staff, Kenan Evren had conducted a military coup d’etat within the chain of command. The investigation into this event had finished and an indictment had been sent to Ankara Heavy Penal Court 12.
The indictment that was prepared by a republican prosecutor in Ankara with special authority listed two of the five generals that were still alive, Kenan Evren and the then Commander of the Air Force, Tahsin Şahinkaya as suspects and charged them under Article 146 of the Penal Code (Law 765) and Article 80 demanding aggravated life imprisonment. On 10 January 2012 Ankara Heavy Penal Court 12 accepted the indictment and issued a ban on the defendants to leave the country. On 20 November 2012 the Court continued to hear the case of Kenan Evren and Tahsin Şahinkaya.
Because the defendants were unable to attend the hearing for reasons of bad health, the statements of them were taken by installing a camera into their rooms in hospital. The court took the testimony of the defendants and started to read the indictment.
On 18 April 2013 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 12 went on hearing the case against Kenan Evren and Tahsin Şahinkaya. The court decided to sent the case file to the prosecutor for his legal argument on the essence of the case unless there is not any demand for the extension of the investigation. The hearing was adjourned to 21 June 2013.
(04/111) Violence in school…
D.S. (13) was beaten by gymnastic teacher H.B. on the grounds that he laughed his friends and fainted in İnönü Ortaokulu in İskenderun District of Hatay Province on 17 April 2013.
(04/112) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Police team interfered to the quarrel between the drivers who mingled in the accident and beat with batons and arrested S.T. in Atatürk Street of Rize Province on 18 April 2013
(04/113) Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 18 April 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.
(04/114) Ongoing KCK Case in Ankara Province…
Investigation launched by the competent of Ankara Specially Authorised Chief Public Prosecution Office, no: 2009/304: 15 female activists from KESK (the Confederation of Public Workers Trade Union) were detained at their homes and offices early in the morning on 13 February 2012. On 16 February 2012, 9 female trade unionists were arrested. The arrested persons and detainees were carrying out gender related activities in KESK. They were charged with “membership of the outlawed organisation” by citing as a justification some documents found in the computer of one person only in 2009 which contained information about their biodata. The prosecution requested their arrest as remand prisoners in the absence of any evidence of a serious nature.
In the first hearing on 4 October 2012 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 11 declined the demand of the defendants to make their legal argument in Kurdish and adjudicated to release 6 pre-trial detainees -Canan Çalağan, Nurşat Yeşil, Belkız Yurtsever, Hülya Mendilligül, Hatice Beydilli Kahraman ve Evrim Özdemir Oğraş- after hearing their legal arguments of the defendants.
On 13 December 2012 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 11 went on hearing the case against 15 defendants -3 pre-trial detainees- and declined the demand of the defendants to make their legal argument in Kurdish and released the three pre-trial detainees before adjourning the hearing to 18 April 2013.
On 18 April 2013 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 11 heard the legal arguments of the defendants in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to 13 June 2013.
(04/115) Intervention to the protest in Ankara Province…
Four members of the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) who chained themselves in front of the Ministry of Health to protest the government’s health policy were beaten and detained by police officers in Ankara Province on 18 April 2013.
20-22 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/116) Explosion in Hakkâri Province…
Cemil Yiğit was seriously wounded (his right leg was amputated from the ankle) with the explosion in the vicinity of the old army headquarters as he was pastoring his herd in Ördekli Village of Hakkâri Province on 19 April 2013.
(04/117) Kumrular Explosion Case…
Five people were killed and 32 people were wounded in the explosion of the bomb that was left in a parked car in Kumrular Street of Devlet Quarter of Ankara Province on 20 September 2011 and TAK (Kurdistan Freedom Hawks/Kürdistan Özgürlük Şahinleri) undertook the responsibility of the attack.
On 19 April 2013 Ankara Regional Heavy Penal Court No. 13 went on hearing the case against 15 defendants -6 pre-trial detainees- and heard the defendants in Kurdish and prolonged the pre-trial detention period of Ümit Akgümüş, Halil Bayık, Ramazan Pamukçi, Fethullah Yiğit and Ertan Yürek- and released Mazlum Duran before adjourning the hearing to 14 June 2013.
(04/118) Senior officers tried in the case on the mine explosion…
On 19 April 2013 the Turkish General Staff’s Marchial Court went on hearing the case against pre-trial detainee, Brigadier General Zeki Es and Brigadier General Gürbüz Kaya, Fatih Taylan Çeker, Hakan Alaçam, Nurettin Altay and Rıza Atilla Erdoğan in connection with the mine explosion as a military vehicle was passing by in which six soldiers were killed and 8 soldiers were wounded Çukurca District of Hakkâri Province on 27 May 2009.
The authorities had claimed that the mine was placed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) armed wing People’s Defence Forces (HPG) but later a voice record was revealed that the mine was placed with the order of Hakkâri Brigade Commander Brigadier General Zeki Es, and Brigadier General Gürbüz Kaya replied to the confession that it has no importance.
Major General Gürbüz Kaya was acquitted; Bbrigadier General Zeki Es was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months of imprisonment on the grounds that he caused the death of more than one person and wounding of two. Gendarmerie Specialised Sergeant Fatih Taylan Çeker was sentenced to 3 months and 10 days of imprisonment on charges of “disobeying the order” and the announcement of his sentence was postponed.
Retired Mayor Rıza Atilla Erdoğan, Lieutenant Colonel Hakan Alaçam and Captain Nurettin Altay were also acquitted in the case.
(04/119) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…
Emrah Gönültaş (26) was beaten in the Fatih Police Station in Sultanbeyli District of İstanbul Province on 21 April 2013.
(04/120) Ongoing Polis Ekibi Tarafından Darp Edilen Avukat Soruşturması…
Lawyer Mustafa Rollas, IHD’s İzmir Branch former Chairperson, had been beaten by the police officers on the grounds that he had insisted to enter to the Fuar Asayiş Station to see his clients İlker Turgut and Doğukan Öci wh had been detained as they attempted to open a placard in İzmir International Exhibition on 9 September 2007.
The case against Mustafa Rollas on charges of “resisting and insulting public officers due to his duty” and the case against Commissariat Ayhan Gökdeniz the police officers Mehmet Çelik, Adem Çon and Mevlüt Emre Dağaslan “insulting” and “wounding” and against physician Cumhur Yılmaz who issued a health report without medical examination that hides the torture on charges of “counterfeiting official documents” were merged by İzmir Penal Court of First Instance No. 6 on 6 March 2013.
In the hearing the court adjudicated to lack jurisdiction on the grounds that the act of the police officers (beating Mustafa Rollas with his hands cuffed) is amount to torture and the five perpetrators (including physician) should be tired in the heavy penal court and sent the case to heavy penal court.
(04/121) Convicted person…
On 19 April 2013 Diyarbakır Penal Court of Peace No. 5 sentenced Physician Burhan Birel to 2 months and 15 days of imprisonment on charges of “misconduct in office” under Article 257 of the TPC. He has been working in the Diyarbakır Training and Survey Hospital Emergency Service and he asked the gendarmerie soldiers to take off handcuffs of the pre-trial detainees Mehtap Çoban and leave the room for medical examination. The case was launched with the official complaint of the gendarmerie.
(04/122) Tired People…
On 19 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 9 accepted the indictment against Writer Thomas Benedikter and Aram Press General Coordinator Gökhan Bulut in connection with the book titled “Avrupa’nın Özerk Bölgeleri/The world’s working regional autonomies” on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law. The first hearing will be on 3 June 2013.
(04/123) Ongoing KCK Case in Aydın Province…
On 19 April 2013 İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 10 went on hearing the case against 29 people -11 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Ortaklar Municipality of Aydın Province in May 2010. The court heard the legal argument of the defendants in Kurdish and released all detainees.
(04/124) Tired People…
On 16 April 2013 Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 6 went on hearing the case against three members of the Adana Freedoms Association on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation – Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C)” under Article 314 of TPC.
The court heard the defendants and released Mehmet Bıldırcın and Bahri Erinç and prolonged the pre-trial detention process of Celal Önkoyu. The next hearing will be on 18 June 2013.
(04/125) Investigated People…
Beyoğlu Municipality has been planning to demolish Emek Cinema (opened: 1924) and the building it is in (building: 1884) on Yeşilçam Street İstiklal Boulevard of İstanbul Province. Police teams interfered to the protesting group against the demolition of Emek cinemas with spraying gas and pressured water. Four people -Hazar Berk Büyüktunca, Özgür İpek, Mehmet Ferit Aka and Berke Göl- had been arrested in the incident on 7 April 2013. An indictment was prepared against the four protestors on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “resisting public officers due to his duty” on 19 April 2013. The prosecutor asked their imprisonment up to 6 years each.
The indictment will be evaluated by the court.
23-24 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/126) The remnants found in Mardin Province…
Human remnants were found in the second excavation of the alleged graveyard of the people who were subjected to force disappeared between 1993 and 1995 in Katarlı Village of Kızıltepe District of Mardin Province.
İnsan Hakları Derneği (İHD) Mardin Branch Executive Erdal Kuzu stated that the remnants will be sent to İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institute.
(04/127) Racist attack in Eskişehir Province…
Approximately 40 right wingers attack on the house of Altan family (from Ağrı Province) with firearms in Alpu District of Eskişehir Province on 22 April 2013.
(04/128) Fire in the refugee camp…
Six children were seriously wounded in the fire in the refugee camp for Syrians in Ceylanpınar District of Şanlıurfa Province on 24 April 2013.
(04/129) Coercion in prison…
Sevcan Atak a worker of Demokratik Modernite Journal in Şakran (İzmir) Prison for Females, was not transferred to hospital although illness in her eyes got worse reported on 23 April 2013.
(04/130) Ongoing KCK Case in Adana Province…
On 22 April 2013 Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 10 went on hearing the case against 54 defendants -9 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Adana Province on 6 March 2012.
The court heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and released pre-trial detainees Hüseyin Oğaç, Fikriye Özbay, Refik Bayav and Sadrettin Argın and adjourned the hearing to 12 September 2013.
(04/131) Ongoing KCK Case in Van Province…
Ten out of the 14 detainees who had been subjected to the “KCK Investigation” in Van Province on 7 June 2012 -Van Belediye Chairperson Bekir Kaya, BDP former Province Chairperson Cüneyt Caniş, Başkale Mayor İhsan Güler, BDP Muradiye District Branch Chairperson Mehmet Şirin Yıldız, Özalp Mayor Murat Durmaz, BDP Başkale former District Branch Chairperson and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) member Derviş Polat, Edremit Mayor Abdulkerim Sayan, BDP Çaldıran District Branch Chairperson Metin Adugit, BDP Erciş District Branch former Chairperson Veli Avcı and BDP Özalp District Branch Chairperson Yakup Almaç- were arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC on 10 and 11 June 2012.
On 22 April 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against 13 defendants and heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to 2 July 2013.
25 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/132) Fire in the refugee camp…
Six children were seriously wounded in the fire in the refugee camp for Syrians in Ceylanpınar District of Şanlıurfa Province on 24 April 2013. Two of the wounded children died in hospital.
(04/133) Extra-judicial killing in
Four people were wounded with the police fire and another person Sinan Saltukalp (17) was seriously wounded with the hit of police vehicle in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 23 April 2013. Two police officers in plain clothes opened fire to the protestors (mostly members of Democratic Patriotic Youth–Movement (YDGM)) and ride the police vehicle on the crowd. The protest was against hunger strike in Tekirdağ F Type Closed Prison and against the police violence.
(04/134) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
A.T. (14) lost the sight of his right eye with the hit of the gas bomb canister during the intervention of law-enforcement in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 23 April 2013.
(04/135) Impunity in case of torture and annulment verdict…
On 29 December 2011 the trial against the former director of the department for organized crime at İstanbul Police HQ, Adil Serdar Saçan and seven police officers on charges of having tortured members of the Science and Research Foundation on 12 November 1999 concluded. In summing up the case the prosecutor at İstanbul Heavy Penal Court 7 had demanded that Adil Serdar Saçan and two police officers be convicted for having brutally beaten, pulled the hair, hitting on the back and in the face, suspending and squeezing the testicles of 27 people and asked for sentences of 8 years’ imprisonment. Despite the fact that the victims were in possession of medical reports the court decided by majority vote to acquit the defendants because of lack of clear and convincing evidence beyond all reasonable doubt to determine that the defendants had committed the crime of torture.
On 24 April 2013 the Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chamber No. 8 annulled the verdict of the local court and ordered the renewal of the case.
(04/136) Ongoing KCK Case in Mersin Province…
On 24 April 2013 Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 10 began to hear the case against 24 defendants -6 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Mersin Province on 3 November 2012.
The court made the IC check and read the indictment and released pre-trial detainees DİHA Mersin reporter Zeynep Kuriş, Mersin Göç-Der and İştar Women Centre exective Menice Ürün, MKM artist Kadir Çat, BDP Province Branch executive Abdullah Okur, İhsan Zengin and Nazan Dündar, and adjourned the hearing to 3 July 2013.
(04/137) Clashes in universities…
Police teams interfered to the clash between two rival groups in Middle East Technical University (METU) (Ortadoğu Teknik University (ODTÜ)) and detained the 15 students in Ankara Province on 24 April 201
(04/138) Clashes in universities…
A group attacked on the demonstration of the Federation of Democratic Students Associations (DÖDEF) who was protesting attacks on the students in Göztepe Campus, of the Marmara University (İstanbul) on 24 April 2013. Police teams interfered to the clash that sparkled with the attack and detained 4 DÖDEF members.
(04/139) Clashes in universities…
Right wingers attacked on the stand of the Socialist Youth Association (SGD). Police teams interfered to the clash that sparkled with the attack and detained the SGD member Murat Sezgin in Dokuz Eylül University (İzmir) 24 April 2013.
26 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/140) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
Ali Bakır and Emre Aslan two members of the Socialist Youth Association were beaten by private security and police officers on the grounds that they handled communiques for May Day in Çukurova University (Adana) on 25 April 2013.
(04/141) Coercion in prison…
Two juveniles in Sincan (Ankara) Prison for Juveniles -Hüsnü Elçik ve Ozan Bektaş- commenced hunger strike on 19 April 2013 against torture reported on 26 April 2013.
(04/142) Ongoing KCK Case in Diyarbakır Province…
On 25 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 95 people, including BDP Bağlar Mayor Ali Yüce and Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Assembly member Abdulkadir Göktumur, -43 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Diyarbakır Province on 22 November 2011.
The court released 7 pre-trial detainees -Şahin Sayar, Ceylan Gültekin, Mahmut Çelik, Tahir Baran, Derya Tamriş, Mehmet Akıcı and Mehmet Çelik- after hearing the demands of the defendants and adjourned the hearing.
27-29 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/143) Mahir Zorbey Demirkaya Case…
Turkey’s main forensics institute did not the claims of Mehmet Saylam, police officer, who said “I slipped and then my gun fired” in the case of Mahir Zorbey Demirkaya – a compulsory drafting fugitive who was killed by police fire during his transport to prison.
Turkey’s main forensics institute did not the claims of police officer who said “I slipped and then my gun fired” in the Demirkaya case.
According to an article written by İsmail Saymaz on Radikal newspaper, a forensics institute report submitted to the court said: “We declare that it was impossible the gun shots have been made while losing balance during falling, and that the guns shots have been made by pulling the trigger two consecutive times.”
On 4 March 2012, Demirkaya was detained by the police for “holding a minor”. In the meanwhile, police detected that Demirkaya was a compulsory drafting fugitive and ordered to serve 10 months of prison.
Following that, Demirkaya reportedly asked the release of his handcuffs to embrace his mother. A police officer shot him in the head as he ran away after the release of his handcuffs.
Suspect Saylam claimed that he shot Demirkaya by mistake, which led to his acquittal by court. After a prosecutor objected the court decision, Saylam has been arrested by the court again.
On 10 May 2012, on the first hearing, the court released Saylam on the “changing possibility of crime’s nature”, despite prosecutor’s charges for “deliberate murder” of Saylam.
According to the report of the Specialisation Board No.1 stated unanimously that it is impossible that the gun fired spontaneously and the trigger pulled twice on 16 January 2013. Another report prepared with the demand of the family of the deceased stated on 20 September 2012 that the gun could not fire with the fall and uncontrolled way.
After the two reports the hearing went on 18 April 2013. The prosecutor made his legal argument on the essence of the case and asked the imprisonment of the defendant up to 25 years on charges of “intentional homicide”. The court declined the detention of the defendant and adjourned the hearing to 25 April 2013.
On 25 April 2013 the court heard the legal arguments of the lawyers on the essence of the case and declined the demands for the detention of the defendant and adjourned the hearing to 28 May 2013.
(04/144) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Three police officers interfered to a family quarrel and cuffed mentally ill Hamiyet Ağaoğlu (40) and her sister Hatice Özer to the fence of the apartment’s garden fence in Avcılar District of İstanbul Province on 27 April 2013. Made them wait for an hour with their hands cuffed to the fence.
(04/145) Coercion in prison…
Ozan Kanar’s letter titled “Violations of Rights in March 2013”, on the torture and ill-treatment on prisoners was censured by the Letter Reading Commission of Tekirdağ F Type Prison No. 2. A page of the letter was taken and half of another page was deleted reported on 28 April 2013.
(04/146) Ongoing KCK Case in Iğdır Province…
On 26 April 2013 Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against the 7 defendants who had been subjected to the KCK investigation in Iğdır Province on 26 November 2012. The court heard the legal arguments of the defendants and adjourned the hearing to evaluate the files to 20 May 2013.
(04/147) Ongoing KCK/TM Case in Şanlıurfa Province…
On 28 April 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 9 went on hearing the case against the 16 defendants -2pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to the KCK investigation in Ceylanpınar District of Şanlıurfa Province. The court heard the legal arguments of the defendants in Kurdish and adjudicated to prolong the pre-trial detention process of two defendants, Abdulbaki Can and Cemil Tuncer, adjourned the hearing to evaluate the files to 21 June 2013.
(04/148) Ongoing 3rd KCK/TM Main Case İstanbul Province…
Thirty-six out of the 49 journalists who had been detained in the raids on the offices of the Dicle Haber Ajansı/News Agency (DİHA) in 8 provinces in the framework of the KCK investigation on 20 December 2011 had been arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” by İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 9 on 24 December 2011.
The 800-page indictment against 44 defendants on charges of “being a member and an executive of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC was accepted on 11 May 2012 by İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 and the first hearing was held on 10 September 2012.
The court declined the demand of the defendants to make their legal argument in Kurdish as in other KCK cases. The court took the demands of the lawyers to be the intervening party and heard the defendants. The court declared that it will announce its interim verdict on 13 September 2012 and adjourned the hearing to 11 September 2012.
44 people ye “yasadışı örgüt üyesi oldukları” ve “yasadışı örgüt yöneticisi oldukları” suçlamalarının yöneltildiği 102 klasörden ve 800 sayfadan oluşan iddianameyi 11 Mayıs 2012’de kabul eden
On 26 April 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 went on hearing the case against the 46 defendants -26 pre-trial detainees and released ANF reporter Zeynep Kuray and DİHA reporter Sadık Topaloğlu and prolonged the pre-trial detention process of 24 defendants. The hearing was adjourned to 17 June 2013 and will go on until 19 June 2013 without a break.
(04/149) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
Police teams arrested the Socialist Party of the Oppressed’s (ESP) İzmir Branch chairperson Pınar Türk and ESP member Seda Baykan as they were hanging posters for the Labour Day in İzmir Province on 26 April 2013.
(04/150) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
Police teams arrested 3 members of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) as they were hanging posters for the Labour Day in Erzincan Province on 28 April 2013.
(04/151) Arrested person…
Asya Altıntaş was arrested after she visited her father in Mardin E Type Prison on 26 April 2013 on the grounds that she had been convicted in the case against her on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC.
(04/152) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
Police teams arrested 3 members of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) as they were hanging posters for the Labour Day in Ankara Province on 26 April 2013.
30 April 2013 Daily Human Rights Report
1(04/153) Mass graveyard discovered in Hakkâri Province…
Villagers found a mass graveyard that allegedly belongs to three Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) armed wing People’s Defence Forces (HPG) militants in the Xepîştê Region in the vicinity of Bêgalte (Ormancık) Village of Şemdinli District of Hakkâri Province.
(04/154) Murder by unknown assailants’ case launched in Mardin Province…
Mardin Chief Public Prosecution Office had finalised the indictment against Ankara Gendarmerie Regional Commander Musa Çitil in connection with 13 murders by unknown assailants as he had been Derik (Mardin) District Gendarmerie Commander reported on 9 September 2012. The case against Musa Çitil was sent to Çorum Province due to security reasons.
On 29 April 2013 Çorum Heavy Penal Court No. 2 began to hear the case and Musa Çitil did not participated in the hearing. The court declined the demands of the lawyers of the intervening party for the detention of Çitil and adjourned the hearing to 1 July 2013.
(04/155) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Law-enforcement interfered to the Galatasaray fans with gas bombs on the grounds that they had counterfeited tickets before the football match between Gaziantepspor and Galatasaray football teams in Gaziantep Province on 28 April 2013. Meanwhile the gas tube on one of the private security officers was exploded and several people affected from the gas were hospitalised.
On 29 April 2013 Gaziantep Chief Public Prosecution Office stated that an investigation was launched against law-enforcement in connection with excessive use of gas.
(04/156) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…
Police officers warned Journalist Mustafa Erdem Kahveci and Lawyer Burcu Özaydın that smoking in the park is prohibited; Kahveci and Özaydın said that there is no such a prohibition. They were arrested and their hands were cuffed with reverse style in Maçka Park in Beşiktaş District of İstanbul Province on 28 April 2013.
(04/157) Coercion in prison…
The hunger strike of the 21 pre-trial detainee and convicts in Tekirdağ F Type Closed Prison that had been commenced 36 days ago on 25 March 2013 was finalised Tekirdağ Chief Public Prosecutor’s positive approach to the demands on 29 April 2013.
(04/158) Coercion in prison…
Kemal Aydın who is a worker of Yakınları Kaybedilenler Derneği/ The Association of the People who Lost their Relatives (YAKAYDER) and a pre-trial detainee in Silivri (İstanbul) L Type Closed Prison No. 3, hospitalised due to his cardiac illness. He objected to be medically treated with his hands cuffed and he was taken back to the prison without treatment reported on 29 April 2013.
(04/159) Coercion in prison…
Pre-trial detainee Burhan Kartal who had been transferred from Erzurum State Hospital to Ankara due to his cardiac illness claimed that he was tortured in Sincan F Type Closed Prison No. 2 and said that “they inflicted torture on my body with electricity, my body is all black and it has several bruises” to his wife Filiz Kartal on 30 April 2013.
(04/160) Activities interfered and persons detained before the May Day…
After Muammer Güler, the Minister of Interior Affairs, announced that Labour Day could not be celebrated in Taksim Square in İstanbul Province on 18 April 2013, İstanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu also stated it a meeting cannot be conducted in Taksim Square on 29 April 2013.
On 29 April 2013 KESK and DİSK Chairpersons met with Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and he said them that Takim Square will not be permitted.
(04/161) Detentions in Cizre Province…
Şehmus Geçit, Siphan Esim and Aziz Uygur who had been arrested in home raids in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 26 April 2013 were detained on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” on 29 April 2013.