Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) / GENERAL – REPORT : March 2013

01 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/002) Alaattin Karadağ Case…

On 28 February 2013 Bakırköy Heavy Penal Court No. 9 went on hearing the case against police officer Oğuzhan Vural who killed Alaattin Karadağ on the grounds that he did not obey the stop warning in Esenyurt District of İstanbul Province on 19 November 2009.

The prosecutor claimed that perpetrator acted in the context of the self-defence and should be acquitted in his legal argument of the defendant on the essence of the case. The hearing was adjourned to 28 May 2013.

(03/003) Coercion in prison…

The prisoners Emrah Yayla, Yusuf Kenan Dinçer and Talat Şanlı were reportedly beaten by the guardians in Kırıklar (İzmir) F Type of Closed Prison on 27 February 2013.

(03/004) Coercion in prison…

Sadık Çelik was beaten by the guardians on the grounds that he objected to be transferred to another room in Tekirdağ F Type of Closed Prison No. 1 on 28 February 2013.

(03/005) Coercion in prison…

Forty-five prisoners were transferred from Oltu (Erzurum) T Type of Closed Prison to Gümüşhane E Type of Closed Prison without their consent reported on 28 February 2013.

(03/006) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 28 February 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/007) Tried conscientious objector…

Ali Fikri Işık (56) who had been detained on charges of not conducting compulsory military service in Diyarbakır Province on 9 June 2012 and sent to Edirne Martial Prison No. 3, has been released on 19 October 2012. He was detained again on the grounds that he run away reported on 28 February 2013.

(03/008) Banned books…

İstanbul Judicature No. 3 (Authorised by the Article 10 of the ATL) banned six books published by Eksen Yayıncılık and three books from Umut Yayıncılık on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law and adjudicated to confiscate the copies of the books reported on 1 March 2013.

(03/009) Ongoing KCK Case in Hakkâri Province…

On 28 February 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 3 went on hearing the case against 6 pre-trial detainees who had been subjected to KCK operation in Çukurca District of Hakkâri Province in July 2011. The court heard the defendants in Kurdish and adjudicated to release the BDP’s Çukurca District Branch former Executives Suphi Çetin and Ferhem Akgöz and adjourned the hearing to 21 March 2013.

(03/010) Ongoing KCK Case in Aydın Province…

On 28 February 2013 İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 10 went on hearing the case against 29 defendants -11 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK operation in Ortaklar Municipality of Aydın Province in May 2010. The court heard the defendants in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to 19 April 2013.

(03/011) Ongoing KCK Case in Aydın Province…

On 28 February 2013 İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 8 went on hearing the case against 20 defendants -8 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK operation in Ortaklar Municipality of Aydın Province in November 2011. The court heard the defendants in Kurdish and released Engin Çiçek and adjourned the hearing to 6 June 2013.

(03/012) Home raids in Mersin Province…

Three detainees -2 of the juveniles who had been detained in home raids of Fighting with Terror Department in Mersin Province on 27 February 2013 were arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law on 28 February 2013 and sent to Mersin E Type of Closed Prison.

(03/013) Intervention to the protest against in Van Province…

Four militants had been reportedly killed in the air attack of the Turkish Armed Forces to the Kandil Mountain region in the Federal Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq on 26 February 2013. Three people were detained in the protest against the air attack in Van Province on 28 February 2013.

 

02-04 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/014) Extra-judicial killing in İstanbul Province…

Police officer Ş.Y., affiliated to Beyoğlu security Directorate killed Vezir Uluğ and his brother Veysi Uluğ on the grounds that they objected to park his car to the minibus station in Gaziosmanpaşa District of İstanbul Province on 1 March 2013. İsmail Güneş was also seriously wounded in the incident.

(03/015) Explosion in Şırnak Province…

A child was wounded in the explosion in the vicinity of the Hisar Army Battalion in Havuzlu Village of Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 1 March 2013.

(03/016) Impunity in the finalised torture and ill-treatment in detention case…

Sezai Yakar had been put into custody in a traffic check in Taksim Quarter of İstanbul Province on 8 June 2007 and he was tortured in Taksim Police Quarter. On 1 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 18 went on hearing the case against 7 police officers on charges of “torturing”. The court heard the legal argument of the defendants on the essence of the case and then sentenced police officers Ergün Işıldar, İbrahim Maraş, Deniz Coşkun, Ersin Özdemir, Eryıl Kontbilek, Ali Akın and Özgür Hüseyinoğlu 14 months of imprisonment each on charges of “intentionally wounding”. The sentences were commuted to 11 months and 20 days of imprisonment each on the grounds that the good conduct of the defendants and then postponed in the context of probation law.

(03/017) Excessive use of force by municipal police…

Bünyamin Adıyaman, who has been playing dulcimer in the street, was beaten by the municipal police of the Çankaya Municipality in Karanfil Street of Çankaya District of Ankara Province on 2 March 2013.

On 3 March 2013 five actors of the Tiyatroj gathered to protest the incident in Karanfil Street were also beaten with batons.

(03/018) Coercion in prison…

Prisoner Ali Erden’s father was banned from table visits for 6 months on the grounds that he had objected to the practices during a table visit in Gaziantep H Type of Closed Prison reported on 2 March 2013.

(03/019) Ongoing KCK Case in Diyarbakır Province…

On 1 March 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 pre-trial detainees Abdulselam Demirkıran, Fatma Kızılkaya, Selam Taş and Şehmus İnci after hearing the demands of the defendants and adjourned the hearing to 2 April 2013.

(03/020) Ongoing KCK Case in Şırnak Province…

On 2 January 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 6 finalised the case against 55 defendants -41 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK operation in Şırnak Province and separated the files of 12 defendants who could not participate in the final hearing including Şırnak Deputy Faysal Sarıyıldız to declare its verdict later.

On 1 March 2013 the court went on hearing the case against and adjourned the hearing to 15 March 2013 on the grounds that some of the defendants were not present and some demanded to give legal argument with teleconference.

(03/021) Ongoing KCK Case in Şanlıurfa Province…

On 1 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 9 went on hearing the case against 16 defendants -4 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK operation in Ceylanpınar District of Şanlıurfa Province and heard the legal arguments of the defendants in Kurdish and released Ceylanpınar Municipality Assembly members Adile Deniz Sürer and Mehmet Emin Polat. The hearing was adjourned to 26 April 2013.

(03/022) Home raids in Mardin Province…

Six people were detained in home raids in Dargeçit District of Mardin Province on 1 March 2013. One of the detainees Z.D. (17) was arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC on 2 March 2013.

(03/023) Intervention to the protest against the minister in Izmir Province…

Three protestors who attempted to protest Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazıcı in İzmir Province on 2 March 2013, were beaten and detained after their hands cuffed.

(03/024) Intervention to the protest against in İzmir Province…

Four members of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) who chained themselves to the entrance of the NATO base in Buca District of İzmir Province on 2 March 2013 to protest the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry on 1 March 2013.

(03/025) Intervention to the protest against minister in Province…

A student was beaten and detained as he was protesting Minister of Youth and Sport Suat Kılıç in Adana province on 1 March 2013.

 

05 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/026) Operations and clashes in South-east…

Four soldiers were wounded in the explosion of the mine as an army vehicle was passing by on the road between Lice District (of Diyarbakır Province) and Bingöl Province.

(03/027) Senior officers tried in the case on the mine explosion…

On 4 March 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.

The court heard the legal argument of the defendants on the essence of the case and adjourned to 5 March 2013 to proceed hearing.

(03/028) 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 4 March 2013 the court went on hearing the merged cases against 19 defendants and heard the legal argument of the pre-trial detainee Ruhi Abat.

(03/029) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…

Cemil Işık argued with a police officer after the meeting for 8 March World Woman Workers’ Day in Van Province on 3 March 2013. Police officer fired his gun that uses plastic bullets and hit him from his face.

(03/030) Intervention to the protest against in İstanbul Province and torture in detention…

23 members of the University Students Women Collective, occupied the Family and Social Policies Province Directorate Cağaloğlu Quarter of Fatih District of İstanbul Province on 4 March 2013. Police teams interfered the members and tortured them in Sirkeci Police Station by beating and hitting their heads to the walls.

(03/031) The case on prison shuttle…

Five convicts -Abdülsetter Ölmez (35), Sinan Aşka (18), İsmet Evin (33), Akif Karabalı (24) and Medeni Demir (47)- had died in the fire in the prison shuttle in the vicinity of Pınarbaşı District of Kayseri Province on 16 September 2011 as they had been transferred from Van to İstanbul Province. The doors were locked and their hands were cuffed.

Kayseri Heavy Penal Court No. 1 went on hearing the case against the driver C.S., gendarmerie commander, İ.B., and the vice commander M.K. of the prison shuttle on charges of “causing death of the more than one person with negligence” on 4 March 2013.

During the hearing in Kayseri Heavy Penal Court No. 1 gendarmerie soldier M.Ç., told the court that the lock system in the shuttle went out-of-order an hour before the incident and they called the service. The service told them to tie the doors and go on their duty. He also claimed that the shuttle was sent to the service and returned back without any repair. They attempted to interfere the fire with extinguisher but realised that the tanks were empty.

(03/032) Ongoing KCK/TM Main Case in İstanbul Prison…

Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 went on hearing the case against 205 defendants -122 of them pre-trial detainees and 23 of them were fugitives- on 4 March 2013.

Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı is among the defendants and charged with “being the executive of the illegal organisation”.

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecution Office had finalised the indictment against 193 people -147 of the pre-trial detainees- who had been detained in various dates in the framework of KCK investigation and sent the 2401 pages of indictment for the evaluation of Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 on 19 March 2012. Writer Ragıp Zarakolu had been charged with “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7 and Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı had been charged with “being an executive of illegal organisation”.

Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 had released Writer Ragıp Zarakolu, Muhsin Yenisöz, Irfan Hülakü, Lütfü Balbal, Ali Geritli, Songül Karatagna, Nahit Onat, Zeynal Çelik, Neci Elmas, Burhanettin Toprak, Ismail Zeybek, Evrim Öztürk, Yasin Yalçın, Cemalettin Görbegir, Alaattin Güneş on the grounds that the probability that the qualification of the charges could be change and the conditions of the evidences as well as taking the period of time spent in prison as pre-trial detainees.

The court went on hearing the indictment, declined the demand of the lawyers to have successive three days for the legal arguments and adjourned the hearing to 5 March 2013.

 

06 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/033) Death in prison…

Çetin Balık (25) a prisoner in Kandıra (Kocaeli) F Type of Closed Prison was allegedly committed suicide in his dormitory on 5 March 2013.

(03/035) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 5 March 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/036) Coercion in prison…

Twenty-five prisoners were forced to walk with military pace in Tekirdağ T Type of Closed Prison reported on 5 March 2013.

(03/037) Tried person…

İstanbul Penal Court of Peace will going the hear the against writer Sevan Nişanyan in connection with his article titled “Hate Crimes Should be Struggled” published in his website (http://Aprilyan1.blogspot.com) on charges of “insulting the religious values that a sect of the society is acknowledged” under Article 216 of the TPC reported on 5 March 2013.

(03/038) Tried persons…

5 March 2013 Pazar Penal Court of First Instance went on hearing the case against 22 defendants who had protested the murder of Metin Lokumcu by gas bombs in Hopa District of Artvin Province on 31 May 2011 the same day in Pazar District of Rize Province on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”. The court heard the legal argument of the 4 defendants and adjourned the hearing to17 May 2013.

(03/039) Intervention to the hanging of the posters…

Two members of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) who were hanging posters of the activity to commemorate the people killed in the incident of Gazi Quarter (12 March 1995), were detained in Sultangazi District of İstanbul Province on 5 March 2013.

 

(03/040) Attack on party office and stand in Mersin Province…

Right wingers attack with knives and sticks on the stand of the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) for the 8 March World Woman Workers’ Day and the Revolutionary high School Students (DEV-LİS) against the reform in education system known as “4+4+4” and wounded two people in Mersin Province on 5 March 2013.

The same group attacked on the office of the SDP Province Branch with stones.

 

07 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/041) Explosion in Mersin Province…

Four juveniles were wounded in the explosion of the bomb that they allegedly were carrying to a demonstration in Akdeniz District of Mersin Province on 6 March 2013.

(03/042) Case against the victim of torture and ill-treatment in İstanbul…

Ahmet Koca (23) had been beaten by ten police officers as he was stopped in road check on the grounds that he talked Kurdish on the phone in Fatih District of İstanbul Province on 18 June 2012.

Ministry of Interior Affairs had launched an investigation after the footage that documents the incident revealed out and five police officers -M.A., A.D., A.E., F.K., S.A.- were removed from office on 20 June 2012.

Istanbul Governorate removed two others on 21 June 2012 and an investigation was launched against Ahmet Koca on charges of “insulting” and resisting police officers”.

İstanbul Chief Public Prosecution Office finalised the indictment against Ahmet Koca with the official complaint of the police officers that got reports that they were “beaten” and “unable to work for five days” and asked for the imprisonment of him up to five years. The indictment was sent to İstanbul Penal Court of First Instance No. 30 to be evaluated on 2 July 2012.

On 5 March 2013 İstanbul Penal Court of First Instance No. 30 went on hearing the case against Ahmet Koca that was launched with the complaints of the police officers on charges of “resisting officers” and the court adjudicated to write to İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 2 (the court that has been hearing the torture case against the officer) to merge the two cases. The hearing was adjourned to 14 May 2013.

(03/043) Ongoing KCK case in Şırnak Province…

On 6 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 7 went on hearing the case against 90 people -30 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Cizre District of Şırnak Province. The court declined the demand of the defendants to make their legal argument in Kurdish and released pre-trial detainees Ali Güven, Dilek Yıldız and İhsan Saçan. The next hearing will be held on 13 May 2013.

(03/044) Finalised KCK case in Van Province…

6 March 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against 21 people -11 pre-trial detainees- who had been detained in Van Province on 12 September 2010.

The court sentenced Ayhan Çevik, Halit Kaya, Hasan Çetin, Hasan Ataş, İzzet Uras, Mehmet Kurt, Metin Durur, Orhan Kandemir, Ömer Ertaş, Şeyma Kantarcı and Teyfik Dalgın to 7 years and 6 months of imprisonment on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation -KCK” under Article 314 of TPC and acquitted the other 9 defendants. Necdet Ayna was sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment with the same charges.

(03/045) Detained people in İstanbul Province…

Three members of the Bağımsız Devrimci Sınıf Platformu/Independent Revolutionary Class Platform (BDSP) were put into custody on charges of resisting officers on duty” in Kartal District of İstanbul Province on 6 March 2013.

(03/046) home raids in Hakkâri Province…

Five people were detained in home raids on the grounds that they threw stones to law enforcement in the demonstration on 15 February 2013 in Yüksekova District of Hakkâri Province on 5 March 2013

(03/047) Intervention to the hanging posters in Batman Province…

Batman Security directorate sentenced the each member of the organising committee of the 8 March World Working Women’s Day in Batman Province to a fine of 1250 TL each in connection with the posters that were hanged on the billboards on 6 March 2013.

 

08 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/048) Death in Prison…

Rafet Kaya (57), imprisoned for murder, allegedly committed suicide in solitary confinement in Sincan (Ankara) F Type of Closed Prison on 6 March 2013.

(03/049) Coercion in prison…

İdris Başaran, a prisoner in Kandıra (Kocaeli) F Type Prison No. 2, has been suffering from chronic bronchitis, asthma, heart rhythm disorder and epilepsy due to torture inflicted on him in detention in Adana in 1994. He cannot do his daily routine alone and needs the help of dormitory friends. Idris Basaran, and his family did not get a reply for their demand for release because of epilepsy. This information was revealed on 7 March 2013 from a letter that Idris Basaran had sent.

(03/050) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…

Kafkas University student M.K., was called to the anti-terror department in connection with her role as a woman who had lost her relative under torture in detention in a theatre play in Kars Province. She went to testify on 26 February 2013. She was forced to take off her clothes in a room with cameras. She made an official complaint against the officers on 6 March 2013.

(03/051) Convicted torturers…

On 12 April 2008 law enforcement officers from the municipality in Pendik-Istanbul, Selahattin Kılıç, Erdal Küçükgüzel and Abdullah Aykılıç had beaten the balloon seller Yusuf Şirin, tying his hands and feet and covering his eyes on the grounds that he did not give his balloons to the police. As a result Yusuf Şirin lost his right kidney and spleen. On 26 February 2013 Kartal Heavy Penal Court No. 1 sentenced the defendants to 12 years’ imprisonment each. The sentences were commuted to 10 years’ imprisonment due to good conduct of the defendants and they were banned from official duty for five years.

(03/052) Coercion in prison…

Sait Demir and Mesut Demir were beaten by the guardians in Tekirdağ F Tipi Type of Closed Prison No. 2. This was reported on 7 March 2013.

(03/053) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 7 March 2013 on the grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/054) Finalised KCK Case in Muş Province…

On 7 March 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 3 went on hearing the case against Dicle News Agency (DİHA) Muş Reporter Murat Aydın and Bulanık Deputy Mayor Ali Topçu who had been detained in a KCK operation in Varto District of Muş Province on 20 October 2011 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC. The court sentenced Murat Aydın and Ali Topçu to 6 years and 3 months’ imprisonment.

(03/055) Ongoing KCK Case in Diyarbakır Province…

On 7 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 27 people, -7 of them pre-trial detainees- who had been indicted in a KCK investigation in Kayapınar District of Diyarbakır Province on the grounds that they have lectured or have been lectured in the Political Academia of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The court released pre-trial detainee Ferman Adsız and adjourned the hearing.

(03/056) Intervention in İstanbul Province…

Police teams interfered when members of the People’s Front were handling flyers in Gülsuyu Quarter of Maltepe District of İstanbul Province on 7 March 2013 and arrested five of them.

 

09-11 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/057) The case of Zirve Press Massacre…

Malatya Chief Public Prosecution Office had finalized 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 8 March 2013 the court went on hearing the merged cases against 19 defendants and heard the demands of the lawyers before adjourning the case to 1 April 2013.

(03/058) Beaten people in İstanbul…

Mücahit Bingöl (24) was first stripped naked and then beaten by police officers in uniforms in a public restroom in Kadıköy District of İstanbul Province on 10 March 2013. He lost his conscience and was hospitalized.

(03/059) Coercion in Prison…

Twenty prisoners from Bingöl M Type of Closed Prison were transferred to other prisons without their consent on 10 March 2013. Sixteen others from the same prison were transferred on 11 March 2013.

(03/060) Tried people…

On 7 March 2013 İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 8 went on hearing the case against 30 people -7 pre-trial detainees- who had been arrested in the operation on the Democratic Settlement Tents in Basmane Quarter of İzmir Province in April 2011 on charges of “resisting public officers due to his duty”, and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law. The court released all the pre-trial detainees after hearing the legal arguments.

(03/061) Detained people…

Ramazan Güneş, Mehmet Selim Kaya and Nizamettin Yılmaz, the distributor of Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem newspapers and his wife Yasemin Yılmaz were arrested in the operation of Special Task Force police officers in Mazıdağı District of Mardin Province on 5 March 2013 and detained on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC on 8 March 2013. Yasemin Yıldız who had been pregnant for two months had miscarriage.

(05/062) Attack on the meeting of World Working Women’s Day…

Fans of Bursaspor Football Club attack on the meeting of 8 March World Working Women’s Day with knives in Kadıköy District of İstanbul Province on 10 March 2013. Police teams did not interfered the attack and 10 women were wounded in the incident.

(03/063) Intervention to World Working Women’s Day…

Four women were detained in the intervention of the police teams to the World Working Women’s Day meeting in Denizli Province on 8 March 2013.

(03/064) Intervention to the protest against vice minister…

Two students who protested Vice Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Yahya Baş in Yıldız Technical University in İstanbul Province on 8 March 2013, were beaten by private security officer.

(03/065) Intervention to a demonstration in Ankara Province…

Five people were arrested by police officers that interfered to the tent of the hunger strikers against the DHKP/C operation in Abdi İpekçi Park in Ankara Province on 8 March 2013.

(05/066) Detained person…

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Diyarbakır Women’s Assembly member Güneş Sedef was arrested in Diyarbakır Airport on 9 March 2013 and detained on the grounds that she has to give legal argument in the case against her in İstanbul Province.

(03/067) Arrested people…

Karadeniz Technical University Medicine Faculty student Volkan Aydın (born in Bitlis Province) was arrested by police officers in plain clothes in the university in Trabzon Province on 8 March 2013. Volkan Aydın was beaten by the officers.

 

12 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/068) Hate crime in İstanbul Province…

Trans-woman B.Ü. was found beaten and hospitalised near the Meis Housing Site that have been on the news due to lynch attempts against trans persons in October 2011 in Avcılar District of İstanbul Province on 6 March 2013. She died in Bakırköy State Hospital on 8 March 2013.

(03/069) Lawyers beaten by soldiers in the hearing …

İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 13 serving inside the Silivri (İstanbul) Prison Campus heard the 277th of the hearing of the Ergenekon case on 11 March 2013. The court ordered the gendarmerie team to take out a trainee lawyer on the grounds that she has been recording the hearing with her tablet pc. The lawyers who tried to prevent the soldiers were beaten.

(03/070) Intervention to the protest in İstanbul Province and the case against the demonstrators…

On 18 February 2013 Lawyers of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD) and Liberal Lawyers Association (ÖHD) who had applied to the court against the pre-trial detention of the nine lawyers who had been detained on 21 January 2013 and then launched sit-in strike in Çağlayan Courthouse. The lawyers made a public statement and hanged a placard. Seven lawyers were wounded and five lawyers were detained in the intervention with batons and gas bombs.

The investigation against the lawyers Erman Öztürk, Arman Yılmaz, Muhittin Köylüoğlu, Özgür Esen and Halil Kocabaş was reportedly finalised on 5 March 2013. The prosecutor demanded up to 9 years of imprisonment for 4 lawyers on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “resisting public officers due to his duty” and demanded up to 17 years of imprisonment for Lawyer Muhittin Köylüoğlu on charges of “insulting officers” besides the aforementioned charges. İstanbul Penal Court of First Instance will hear the case.

(03/071) Tried People…

On 15 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 22 will begin to hear the case against 21 executives or member of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) including Writer Ayşegül Devecioğlu in connection with the Newroz Celebration in Yalova Province on 20 March 2012 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law.

(03/072) Convicted People…

On 11 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 7 finalised the case against 6 defendants -2 pre-tiral detainees- who had been detained in Bingöl Province on 10 June 2011 on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7. The court sentenced Ömer Faruk Ersöz and Faraç İliç to 8 years and 9 months of imprisonment each on charges of “committing offence on behalf of an organisation although he is not a member” under Article 220/6 of TPC and other three defendants to 5 years of imprisonment each. Mürsel Karasu was acquitted in the case.

(03/073) Confiscated magazines…

All the copies of the weekly Bağımsızlık, Demokrasi ve Sosyalizm için Yürüyüş Magazine’s issues dated on 3 March 2013 (No. 354) and dated on 10 March 2013 (No. 355) were confiscated on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law.

(03/074) Intervention to the march in Eskişehir Province…

Private security officers attacked on the students who have been distributing sandwiches to protest the rise in the meal prices in Osmangazi University in Eskişehir Province on 11 March 2013 and cuffed 5 students and delivered them to police teams.

(03/075) Ongoing “DHKP/C Investigation” operation…

Fighting with Terror Department police officers had raided on houses, workplaces and institutes in 28 provinces on 19 February 2013. Fatma Bora Koçaş, Saniye Erenler Öztürk, Satılmış Gökoğlu, Mustafa Anil, Seher Toksoy, Serpil Toksoy, Hikmet Bünyamin Keneş and Emre Kesikkalı who had been arrested in Ankara Province released by the court. They were arrested again and detained with the objection of the prosecutor on 11 March 2013.

 

13 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/076) Murder by unknown assailants in Şırnak Province…

Mehmet Coşkun, a temporary village guard, was killed in the armed attack in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 12 March 2013.

(03/077) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…

Mehmet Göler (41) who had been arrested by police officers without any reason in Diyarbakır Province on 5 March 2013 was beaten in the police station. His jaw bone was fractured from three different points. He applied to the Human Rights Association’s (IHD) Diyarbakır Branch for judicial support on 12 March 2013.

(03/078) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 12 March 2013 on the grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/079) Tried newspaper and radio workers…

On 12 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 10 went on hearing the case against 26 people -9 of them still pre-trial detainees- who had been detained in “Gaye Operation” on the grounds that they were “executives and members of the Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP)” on 10 September 2006. The defendants were workers of Atılım Newspaper and Özgür Radio and 7 of them have been release during the proceedings. The new court jury heard the legal arguments of the defendants’ lawyers again and prolonged the pre-trial detention period of the 9 defendants and adjourned the hearing to 4 June 2013.

(03/080) Ongoing KCK case in Hakkâri Province…

On 12 March 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 6 pre-trial detainees who had been detained in the KCK operation in Şemdinli District of Hakkâri Province on 16 September 2011. The court heard the legal argument of the defendants in Kurdish and released Cadır Beşer. The next hearing will be on 9 May 2013.

 

14 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/081) Murder by unknown assailants in Şırnak Province…

The murder of Mehmet Coşkun, a temporary village guard, in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 12 March 2013 was undertaken by Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) armed wing People’s Defence Forces (HPG) on 13 March 2013.

(03/082) Ongoing Bomb attack case in İstanbul Province…

Sixteen people -15 police officers- were wounded in the bomb attack on the riot police shuttle in front of the AKP Branch office and MÜSİAD building in Sütlüce Quarter of Beyoğlu District of İstanbul Province on 1 March 2012. On 13 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 22 began to hear the case against 12 defendants -11 pre-trial detainees- and heard the legal arguments of the defendants in Kurdish and released 4 of them before adjourning the hearing to 9 July 2013.

(03/083) Coercion in Prison…

Cihan Yeşil was first beaten in his dormitory and then in the room known as “sponged room” by the guardians in Bolu F Type of Closed Prison on 8 February 2013. They delivered him to his dormitory unconscious and wrapped to a blanket reported on 13 March 2013. Cihan Yeşil has been having loss of memory and paralysis in his left arm.

(03/084) Tried conscientious objector…

Ali Fikri Işık (56) who had been detained on charges of not conducting compulsory military service in Diyarbakır Province on 9 June 2012 and sent to Edirne Martial Prison No. 3, has been released on 19 October 2012. He was detained again on the grounds that he run away reported on 28 February 2013. On 13 March 2013 Şükrüpaşa Army Post (Edirne) Martial court went on hearing the case against Ali Fikri Işık and heard the legal argument of him and his conscientious objection. The court adjudicated to release Ali Fikri Işık on the grounds that he will join his unit and adjourned the hearing to 12 June 2013.

(03/085) Tried People…

On 13 March 2013 Bursa Regional Heavy Penal Court No. 6 went on hearing the case against 4 students in connection with writing texts on the wall of a car parking in Eskişehir Province in May 2012 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C)” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law.

The court adjudicated to hear the police officers who had signed the documents in detention as witnesses and adjourned the hearing.

(03/086) Tried People…

Samsun Chief Public Prosecution Office finalised the indictment against two students Yıldırım Beyazıt Besim and Mert Deniz Özkaya who had used the photograph of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a target in dart game as a protest to the new education system on charges of “insulting public officers due to his duty” under Article 125 of the TPC in Samsun Province in 2012, and Penal Court of Peace will begin to hear the case in June 2013 reported on 13 March 2013.

(03/087) Tried People…

On 13 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 11 went on hearing the case against 72 defendants –most of whom are members of the Demokratik Yurtsever Gençlik (DYG)- who had been arrested in home raids İstanbul Province in March 2011 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC.

The court heard the legal argument of the defendants in Kurdish and released Kemal Tibelik, Hasan Çalğan, Meltem Yağmur Bovkır, Hakan Yalçınkaya, Agit Tan, Ahmet Soysal, Nazmi Doğan and Tuncay Genç and adjourned the hearing to 17 April 2013.

(03/088) Ongoing KCK case in Tunceli Province…

On 13 March 2013 Malatya 4. Heavy Penal Court No. 4 began to hear the KCK case against 13 defendants who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Tunceli Province on 11 December 2013. The court released 7 pre-trial detainees after checking their IDs and taking their legal arguments.

(03/089) Finalised KCK case in Şırnak Province…

On 13 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 4 finalised the case against 20 defendants -6 pre-trial detainees and 4 fugitives- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Şırnak Province in 2010. The court sentenced 7 defendants to 10 years of imprisonment each on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC, 4 defendants to 6 years 3 months of imprisonment each with the same charges, another defendant to 14 years 4 months of imprisonment on charges of “having explosives” and “resisting public officer” and “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC, another defendant to 3 years 9 months of imprisonment on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7 and two other defendants to 7 years 6 months of imprisonment each with the same charges. Another defendant was sentenced to 13 years and 9 months of imprisonment on charges of “forgery of documents” and “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC.

The court adjudicated to postpone the prosecution against the 16 defendants for 3 years basing its verdict to the Temporary Article 1/1-b of the Law No. 6352 which came into force as a part of the Third Judiciary Reform Package on 5 July 2012.

(03/090) Home raids in Şırnak Province…

Seven people were detained in synchronised home raids of the Fighting with Terrorism Department teams in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 13 March 2013. The authorities did not make any explanation on the reason of detention.

(03/091) Home raids in Mersin Province…

Ten people -3 juveniles- were detained in synchronised home raids of the Fighting with Terrorism Department teams on the grounds that throwing stones to law enforcement in Mersin Province on 13 March 2013.

(03/092) Home raids in Muş Province…

Three members of the BDP were detained in synchronised home raids in Malazgirt District of Muş Province on 14 March 2013. The authorities did not make any explanation on the reason of detention.

(03/093) Ongoing DHKP/C operation…

13 members of the Gençlik Federasyonu/Youth Federation 10 members of the Group Yorum and İdil Theatre Workshop were detained in the raid as a part of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) investigation in İstanbul Province on 14 March 2013.

 

15 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/094) The case launched against the family of the victim of the extra-judicial killing in Ankara Province…

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. On 2 September 2012, eight women from the family of Cem Aygün attempted to protest in front of the Ankara Security Directorate. They were detained for two hours on the grounds that they shouted “we want our brother back”. Ankara Chief Public Prosecution Office finalised the indictment and sent it to the court to be evaluated reported on 7 November 2012. On 14 March 2013 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 8 went on hearing the case against eight women and sentenced all the defendants to a fine of 9,080 TL each on charges of “intentionally wounding” and “insult”.

(03/095) Tried people…

Police teams had interfered to the demonstration in Pamukkale University to support the hunger strikes in prison and arrested 101 students on 2 November 2012. The students had been released shortly after. The prosecutor objected the verdict and six students detained on 17 November 2012. Nineteen caught warranties were issued.

İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 12 accepted the indictment against 101 students -25 pre-trial detainees- on charges of “committing offence on behalf of an organisation although he is not a member” under Article 220/6 of TPC, “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”, “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law “resisting public officers due to his duty”. The prosecutor asked 40 years of imprisonment for each of the defendants. The first hearing will be on 28 March 2013.

(03/096) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 14 March 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/097) Ongoing KCK Case in Ağrı Province…

On 11 March 2013 Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 4 began to hear the case against 35 defendants -21 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK operation 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 argument of the defendants in Turkish and Kurdish and released 13 pre-trial detainees -Baran Umut Kıran, Diyadin Bilen, Güllüzar Kalmış, Doğubayazıt Vice Mayor Ali Sağüt, İbrahim Bobilik, Doğubayazıt Municipality Assembly member Reşit Sarıhan, Muhsin Kula, Bişar Ekren, Fatma Oral, Abbas Karataş, Mehmet Şerif Hacıoğlu, Şah İsmail Gültekin and Orhan Ebren. The next hearing will be on 15 April 2013.

(03/098) Home raids in Batman Province…

Seven people were arrested in home raids in Bekirhan Municipality of Batman Province and its Kozluk District on 14 March 2013. The authorities did not make any explanation on the reason of detention.

(03/099) Home raids in Şırnak Province…

Four others were detained in the operation after the murder of Mehmet Coşkun in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 14 March 2013. The number of the detainees became 11.

 

16-18 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/081) Threatened party executive…

Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) Fatih District Branch executive Cihan Algan was called and invited to give testimony from Şehremini Police Station. He went to the station on 11 March 2013 and interrogated by two police officers in plain clothes. He was called on 13 March 2013 and he did not go. This time police officer called him and told him that they will do what is necessary. He made a public statement on the threatening message in İstanbul Province on 15 March 2013.

(03/082) Coercion in prison…

The administration of Kandıra (Kocaeli) F Type of Closed Prison forced Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği (ÇHD) Chairperson Selçuk Kozağaçlı to introduce himself with a loud voice during his weekly telephone calls on 9 March 2013 and he was not allowed to use Selçuk Kozağaçlı’s right on the grounds that he objected to introduce himself reported on 15 March 2013.

(03/083) Coercion in prison…

Mete Diş who had testicular cancer in Kandıra F Type of Closed Prison No. 1 demanded to be released for medical treatment but İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 12 declined the demand reported on 15 March 2013.

(03/084) Coercion in prison…

Eleven convicts were sentenced to solitary confinement for 7 days on the grounds that they dig small holes on the walls in Gaziantep H Type of Closed Prison reported on 16 March 2013.

(03/085) Coercion in prison…

Three prisoners who had been transferred from Kırıklar (İzmir) F Type of Closed Prison to Şakran T Type of Closed Prison were beaten by the guardians on the grounds that they had objected the decision reported on 16 March 2013.

(03/086) Coercion in prison …

Nasrullah Kuran and Çetin Alkaş were transferred from Bolu F Type of Closed Prison to Nazilli (Manisa) E Type of Closed Prison against their will reported on16 March 2013.

(03/087) Coercion in prison…

Resmiye Vatansever (in Sincan (Ankara) Closed Prison for Females) was beaten by the guardians on the grounds that she rejected to give blood for DNA test which was allegedly ordered by a court in Erzurum on 7 March 2013 DNA. Her family reported the incident on 16 March 2013.

(03/088) Coercion in prison…

After the decision of the administrations of Tekirdağ F Type of Closed Prison No. 1 and 2 to ban the more than ten books in the dormitories, the guardians attacked on the dormitories and confiscate the books and notes Tekirdağ F Type of Closed Prison No. 2 on 15 March 2013.

Seyfi Polat was put into sponged room for five hours and İrfan Gerçek put into solitary confinement reported on 17 March 2013.

(03/089) Convicted people…

Nationalist Action Party (MHP) District Branch Chairperson Veysel Cengiz and 8 other executives were sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment each in connection with the march after the commemoration of the MHP’s deceased former Chairperson Alparslan Türkeş in Şebinkarahisar District of Giresun Province on 4 April 2012 on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” on 14 March 2013.

(03/090) Attacks and interventions to the Newroz Celebration…

Three people were wounded with the shattered glass of the coffee house with the gas bomb canister fired during the intervention of the law enforcement to the celebration in Erzurum Province on 16-17 March 2013. Four people were arrested including the chairperson of the organising committee of the celebration Talip Yıldırım.

Right-wingers attacked on the crowd gathered in front of the BDP’s Branch office with stones and wounded 8 people.

A person was stabbed during the celebration in Kocaeli Province on 17 March 2013. Right wingers attacked on the Socialist Party of the Oppressed’s (ESP) branch office.

Six people in Sakarya Province and another 6 in İstanbul Province were wounded in the attack of the right-wingers on the celebrations.

(03/091) Ongoing KCK Case in Şırnak Province…

On 2 January 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 6 finalised the case against 55 defendants -41 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK operation in Şırnak Province and separated the files of 12 defendants who could not participate in the final hearing including Şırnak Deputy Faysal Sarıyıldız to declare its verdict later. On 15 March 2013 the court went on hearing the case against 12 defendants and heard their legal argument in Kurdish. The hearing was adjourned for the announcement of the court’s verdict to 22 March 2013.

(03/092) Ongoing KCK/TM Main Case in İstanbul Province…

Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 went on hearing the case against 205 defendants -118 of them pre-trial detainees and 23 of them were fugitives- on 15 March 2013. Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı is among the defendants and charged with “being the executive of the illegal organisation”.

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecution Office had finalised the indictment against 193 people -147 of the pre-trial detainees- who had been detained in various dates in the framework of KCK investigation and sent the 2401 pages of indictment for the evaluation of Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 on 19 March 2012. Writer Ragıp Zarakolu had been charged with “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7 and Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı had been charged with “being an executive of illegal organisation”.

Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 had released Writer Ragıp Zarakolu, Muhsin Yenisöz, Irfan Hülakü, Lütfü Balbal, Ali Geritli, Songül Karatagna, Nahit Onat, Zeynal Çelik, Neci Elmas, Burhanettin Toprak, Ismail Zeybek, Evrim Öztürk, Yasin Yalçın, Cemalettin Görbegir, Alaattin Güneş on the grounds that the probability that the qualification of the charges could be change and the conditions of the evidences as well as taking the period of time spent in prison as pre-trial detainees. The next-to-kins of the pre-trial detainees were not hindered by the soldiers and not allowed to get inside the prison campus. The court finalised the hearing of the indictment, and released Pervin Tumbul, Şükrü Zeren, İdil Aydınoğlu, Mehmet Şerif Mergen, Metin Eren, Mehmet Baki Bingöl and Gönül Erdem. The court adjourned the hearing to 27 May 2013 to go on without intervals till 7 June 2013.

(03/093) Home raids in Batman Province…

Five -Şehmus Savdi, Emin Mendi, Kerim Çiftçi, Şemsettin Tunç and İdris Sunar- out of the eleven people that had been arrested in home raids in Bekirhan Municipality of Batman Province and its Kozluk District on 14 March 2013 were detained on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7 on 15 March 2013.

(03/094) KCK detention in İstanbul Province…

Meryem Yiğit who is a worker of the BDP, had been arrested in Avcılar District of İstanbul Province on 16 March 2013 was detained on the grounds that she is one of the fugitive defendants of the case that has been heard in İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 15 on 16 March 2013.

(03/095) Home raids in Şırnak Province…

Two of the 11 detainees who had been arrested in home raids of Fighting with Terror Department in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 16 March 2013 were detained in connection with the murder of the temporary village guard Mehmet Coşkun.

(03/096) Home raids in Hakkâri Province…

Seven people were detained in synchronised home raids of the Fighting with Terrorism Department teams in Hakkâri Province on 17 March 2013. The authorities did not make any explanation on the reason of detention.

 

19 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/116) Coercion in prison…

84 pre-trial detainees and convicts in Diyarbakır E Type Closed Prison were transferred to Tekirdağ F Type Closed Prison without their consent with the order of the Ministry of Justice on 18 March 2013. The ministry is allegedly planning to transfer 300 pre-trial detainees and convicts in total.

(03/117) Convicted people…

On 19 March 2013 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 12 sentenced 4 defendants (Revolutionary 78’s Federation Samsun Branch Chairperson Erdem Avcı and three high school students) to 10 months of imprisonment each in connection with commemoration of İbrahim Kaypakkaya who had been killed on 18 May 1973 in n Samsun Province on 18 May 2012 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law.

(03/118) Ongoing KCK case in Batman Province…

Forty people had been arrested in the raids on the houses and organisations in the framework of the KCK investigation in Batman Province on 4 February 2012 and 34 of them were detained on 7 February 2012. Some of the pre-trial detainees were released in the previous hearings and the number became 28. On 18 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to evaluate the evidences to 19 March 2013.

(03/119) Intervention to the protest in Ankara Province…

Police teams interfered to the student group that attempted to make a public statement before the meeting of the Interuniversity Council in Hacettepe University (Ankara) on 18 March 2013. Fourteen students were beaten and arrested and 10 students were wounded.

(03/120) Ongoing DHKP/C Operation…

Sevinç Bozdağ ve Yürüyüş Magazine worker Kaan Ünsal who had been arrested in the raids on Rights and Freedoms Association/Haklar ve Özgürlükler Derneği and houses in the framework of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) investigation in İstanbul Province on 14 March 2013 were detained on 17 March 2013.

(03/121) Home raids in Van Province…

Five juveniles were detained in home raids in Van Province on 19 March 2013.

(03/122) Ongoing DHKP/C Operation…

Eight people were arrested in the raids on Rights and Freedoms Association/Haklar ve Özgürlükler Derneği and houses in the framework of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) investigation in İstanbul Province on 19 March 2013.

 

20 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/123) Death in prison…

The 51 day-old baby of the pre-trial detainees G.D. (19) was found dead in the dormitory in Konya E Type Prison on 19 March 2013. The face of the baby was covered with blood and an investigation was launched on the incident.

(03/124) Attack on party building…

Unidentified person(s) attacked on the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) General Centre with rocket launcher and caused material damage in the seventh floor of the building reserved for the chairperson of the party in Söğütözü Quarter of Ankara Province on 19 March 2013.

(03/125) Attack on the building of ministry…

Unidentified person(s) threw 2 hand grenades to the park of the ministry of Justice in Ankara Province on 19 March 2013 and wounded two people.

(03/126) Beaten juvenile by police team…

R.K. was beaten by police officers inside the armoured police vehicle called Akrep on the grounds that he had insulted the officers in Diyarbakır Province on 17 March 2013.

R.K. has loss of hearing due to hits and his family made an application to the İnsan Hakları Derneği (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch for judicial support.

(03/127) Attack on governorate building…

Unidentified person(s) left a sound bomb in front of Maltepe District Governorate building and caused material damage in İstanbul Province on 20 March 2013.

(03/128) Attack on culture centre…

Unidentified person(s) left a sound bomb in front of People’s Library building of Kartal Municipality which was neutralised in İstanbul Province on 20 March 2013.

(03/129) Coercion in prison…

Between 27 July 2011 and 19 March 2013 Abdullah Öcalan had not been allowed to meet his lawyers for 601 days. On 19 March 2013 the lawyers from the Law Office of the Century, Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were again not allowed to go to İmralı Island, because the coaster for transport to the hight security prison on İmralı was out of order.

(03/130) Tried People …

On 19 March 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.

The court declined heard the legal argument of the prosecutor on the essence of the case who demanded 12 years of imprisonment against the defendant. The court adjudicated to prolong the detention process till the next hearing on 16 April 2013.

(03/131) Tried people …

Seven people had been detained in home raids of the Anti-Terror Department in Çorum Province on 27 April 2012 and 4 detainees -Halil Top, Dursun Turna, Gözde Erdal, Hüseyin Teke and Ender Özçiftçi- were arrested 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 on 1 May 2012.

Ankara Chief Public Prosecution Office had launched an indictment against 16 people on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC and Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 11 had accepted the indictment.

On 9 October 2012 the court released 6 out of the 7 pre-trial detainees -Gözde Erdal, Dursun Turna, Hüseyin Teke, Ender Özçiftçi, Halil Top and İbrahim Devrim Top- and prolonged the pre-trial detention period for Umut Şener.

On 19 March 2013 heard the prosecutor’s legal argument on the essence of the case and prolonged the pre-trial detention of defendant Umut Şener till the next hearing on 21 May 2013.

(03/132) Ongoing KCK/TM case in İzmir Province…

İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 8 went on hearing the case against 76 people -32 of the pre-trial detainees-who had been tried in connection with the BDP’s Academia of Politics on charges of “training or trained on behalf of the illegal organisation” and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 19 March 2013.

The court heard the legal arguments of the defendants in Kurdish and adjudicated to wait the outcome of the 4th judicial package and released 18 pre-trial detainees. The next hearing will be on 24 June 2013.

(03/133) Tried people…

On 19 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 23 went on hearing the case against14 people -8 of them pre-trial detainees- in connection with the bomb attack and the fight between two opposite groups in İstanbul University Law faculty on 8 May 2012 in which two students and a janitor were wounded in the explosion in the rest room on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC.

The court heard the legal arguments of the defendants in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to 3 July 2013.

The prosecutor asked for life sentence in solitary confinement and with no possibility of parole for pre-trial detainees Emel Çetin, Raziye Ay and cancer patient Uğur Tekdal in connection with the bomb attack and the other defendants were charged with the fight on 4 June 2012.

 

21 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/134) Coercion in prison…

Hediye Aksoy a blind convict who is also a cancer patient in Bakırköy (İstanbul) Type of Closed Prison for Females applied to the Forensic Medicine Institute on 29 January 2013 and with the reply of the institute, the execution of her sentence was postponed for a year and she was released on 20 March 2013.

(03/135) Coercion in prison…

33 pre-trial detainees and convicts in Batman E Tipi Type of Closed Prison were transferred to Tekirdağ T Type of Closed Prison against their will, reported on 20 March 2013.

(03/136) Intervention to the Newroz celebration in Ankara Province…

Police teams and private security of the university interfered to the Newroz Celebration in Ankara University’s Cebeci Campus on the grounds that the celebration was illegal in Ankara Province on 20 March 2013. Several students’ health was deteriorated with the gas bombs thrown inside the Political Science Faculty and 5 students were wounded.

(03/137) Bomb and armed attack in Ankara Province…

On 20 March 2013 Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) undertook the attacks on the ministry of Justice and the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) General Centre in Ankara Province on 19 March 2013.

(03/138) Intervention to the protest in İzmir Province…

Three juveniles (allegedly members of Revolutionary High School Students) who had chained themselves to the Social Security Institute’s Province Branch and then to the Ministry of Finance’s İzmir Group Presidency to protest the child labour were arrested on İzmir Province on 20 March 2013.

(03/139) Ongoing KCK Case in Diyarbakır Province…

On 20 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 9 went on hearing the case against 27 people -5 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Dicle District of Diyarbakır Province on 4 July 2012.

After hearing the defendants the court released pre-trial detainees, Dicle Mayor Mustafa Uyguner, BDP Dicle District Branch Chairperson Nasır Sert, Şefik Birkan and Fevziye Arıkan.

(03/140) Convicted People…

On 25 February 2013 Kocaeli Penal Court of First Instance No. 3 went on hearing the case against 46 students who had been detained in the protest against President Abdullah Gül during his visit to Kocaeli University on 6 April 2012. The court sentenced the defendants to 5 months of imprisonment each on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and acquitted from the charges of ““resisting public officers due to his duty”.

Kocaeli Penal Court of First Instance No. 3 sentenced another student to 11 months and 20 days of imprisonment in connection with the poster he had been carrying on charges of “insulting the president” on 20 March 2013.

(03/141) Ongoing KCK Case in Mardin Province…

On 20 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 7 went on hearing the case against 26 people -10 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Nusaybin District of Mardin Province in 2011.

The court declined the demand of the defendants to give legal arguments in Kurdish on the grounds that they did not express the demand in Turkish and prolonged the pre-trial detention period of the defendants till the next hearing on 17 April 2013.

(03/142) Home raids in Diyarbakır Province…

BDP member Mürsel Farisoğlu was arrested in the raid on his house in Diyarbakır Province on 20 March 2013.

(03/143) Bomb attack in İstanbul Province…

Minor material damage took place aftr the explosion of the sound bomb in Sancaktepe District of İstanbul Province on 21 March 2013.

 

22 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/144) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 21 March 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/145) Coercion in prison…

Nine pre-trial detainees and convicts from Şakran (İzmir) Type of Closed Prison for Females, started hunger strike on the grounds that the administration did not reply their demand to change dormitories on 14 March 2013 reported on 21 March 2013.

(03/146) Convicted juvenile…

On 22 March 2013 Mersin Penal Court for Juveniles No. 1 sentenced D.A. (17) to 3 months and 10 days of imprisonment on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” in connection with the protest against second university fees in Mersin Province on 30 August 2012.

(03/147) Tried journalists…

On 21 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 16 went on hearing the OdaTV case against 13 defendants -including Nedim Şener and Ahmet Şık- on charges of “founding, executing, helping being a member of armed organisation”; “inciting people to hatred and enmity”, “obtaining confidential documents”, “violating the secrecy of private life”, “recording personal documents” and “attemting to influence the fair trial”. Pre-trial detainee Kaşif Kozinoğlu died in the prison.

Pre-trial detainees Soner Yalçın, Hanefi Avcı and The court heard the legal argument of Yalçın Küçük and decided to ask the legal argument of the prosecutor on the essence of the case before adjourning the hearing to 13 June 2013.

(03/148) Ongoing DHKP/C Operations…

Ten out of the 13 people who had been arrested in the raids on Rights and Freedoms Association/Haklar ve Özgürlükler Derneği and houses in the framework of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) investigation in İstanbul Province on 19 March 2013 were detained on 21 March 2013.

(03/149) Ongoing DHKP/C Operation…

On 20 March 2013 Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) had undertook the attacks on the ministry of Justice and the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) General Centre in Ankara Province on 19 March 2013.

On 22 March 2013 several houses and institutions were raided in Mamak District of Ankara Province and two people were allegedly arrested in the operation.

(03/150) Intervention to the action in Mersin Province…

Police teams interfered the protest of the Antinuclear Platform members against the meeting on nthe Environmental Effect of the hydroelectric power plant in Mut District of Mersin Province on 21 March 2013 Three 3 people were wounded and 6 others were arrested.

 

23-25 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/151) Death in prison…

Cancer patient Haci Nasır died in Haseki Hospital on 23 March 2013. He had been in Metris (İstanbul) T Tipi Prison since 12 February 2012 and he had been transferred to the hospital on 9 February 2013. The Forensic Medicine Institute gave an appointment in July 2013.

(03/153) Coercion in prison…

Rıza Şahin, Cem Aslan, Murat Çeçen and Atilla Özgeyik Malatya E Type of Closed Prison were transferred to Samsun E Type Closed prison without their consent reported on 23 March 2013.

(03/154) Coercion in prison…

Cancer patient Seyran Demir was detained in Yüksekova District of Hakkâri Province on 13 February 2013 reported on 24 March 2013.

(03/155) Coercion in prison…

Pre-trial detainee Adil Toprak in Siirt E Type of Closed Prison had been called from his dormitory for a phone call oın 17 March 2013 and was taken to a place under the stairs and beaten by ten guardians.

(03/156) Tried People…

Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No. 6 accepted the indictment against Neslihan Uyanık and Nebiye Merttürk who had thrown eggs to the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek in Ankara Province on 2 June 2012 on charges of “insulting public officer”, “simple wounding” and “threatening” and the prosecutor asked for an imprisonment up to 4 years and 4 months of imprisonment each reported on 23 March 2013.

(03/157) Tried People…

On 13 March 2012 Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 11 had adjudicated time bar for the case on Madımak Massacre (2 July 1993). The group gathered in front of the courthouse protested the verdict and an investigation was launched against 52 people.

The indictment was approved by Ankara Penal Court of First Instance No. 21 on 24 March 2013. The porsecutor asked up to 13 years of imprisonment for each of the defendants on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”, “harming public goods” and resisting public officer”.

(03/158) Ongoing KCK Case in Şırnak Province…

On 2 January 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 6 finalised the case against 55 defendants -41 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK operation in Şırnak Province and separated the files of 12 defendants who could not participate in the final hearing including Şırnak Deputy Faysal Sarıyıldız to declare its verdict later.

On 15 March 2013 the court went on hearing the case against 12 defendants and heard their legal argument in Kurdish. The hearing was adjourned for the announcement of the court’s verdict to 22 March 2013.

On 22 March 2013 the court went on hearing the case and heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and adjudicated to get a health report for Faysal Sarıyıldız from Forensic Medicine Institute who did not participate due to his health problems and adjourned the hearing to 27 March 2013.

(03/159) Ongoing KCK Case in Bitlis Province…

On 22 March 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 10 people who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Tatvan District of Bitlis Province.

The court heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and released pre-trial detainees Malgin Genç, Serhat Koç, Bedrettin Damar and İbrahim Filiz.

(03/160) Ongoing KCK Case in Batman Province…

Forty people –including Dicle News Agency (DİHA) Batman reporter Gülsen Aslan and members of executives of NGOs and the BDP- had been detained in the raids of the Fighting with Terrorism Department teams on houses and the institutes in Batman Province on 4 February 2012 and 34 of the detainees had been arrested on 7 February 2012.

On 22 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against 40 defendants -28 pre-trial detainees. The court heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and released pre-trial detainees Ahmet Çiftçi, Faysal Erpiek, İzzettin Ege, Salih Keleş, Osman Beyaz, Rıdvan Ayhan, Muzzaffer Çınar and Mehmet Salih Keleş adjourned the hearing to 29 May 2013.

(03/161) Ongoing KCK Case in Sivas Province…

On 22 March 2013 Malatya Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against 13 people -7 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Sivas Province on 27 March 2012.

After hearing the defendants in Kurdish the court adjourned the hearing to 2 June 2013.

(03/162) Arrested newspaper editor…

Weekly Kızıl Bayrak Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Tayfun Altıntaş, was arrested as he went to get back the confiscated issues of the newspaper from Yavuz Selim Police Station on 21 March 2013.

(03/163) Ongoing DHKP/C Operation…

On 20 March 2013 Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) had undertook the attacks on the ministry of Justice and the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) General Centre in Ankara Province on 19 March 2013.

On 25 March 2013 ten people were arrested in raids on houses and trade unions Türkiye Liman ve Kara Tahmil-Tahliye İşçileri (Liman-İş) and Türkiye Genel Hizmetler İşçileri Trade Union in Ankara Province.

(03/164) Intervention to the protest in Mersin Province…

Three students were wounded with plastic bullets in the intervention of the police teams to the protest the central university exam in Mersin Province on 24 March 2013.

(03/165) Attack on Newroz Celebration Kayseri Province…

Two people were wounded in the attack on the Newroz Celebration organised by the People’s Democratic Congress in Kayseri Province on 24 March 2013.

(03/166) Intervention to the protest in Ankara Province…

Six students who chained themselves to the fence of the [Student] Evaluation, Selection and Placement Centre/Ölçme, Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi (ÖSYM) in Ankara Province on 24 March 2013 to protest the central university exam were arrested.

 

26-27 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/167) Investigation ıon the murder of Muhsin Melik by unknown assailants…

Closed Democracy Party’s (DEP) Şanlıurfa Province Branch Muhsin Melik and his driver Mehmet Ayyıldız were killed by unknown assailants as he had been going his Office form his house in Şanlıurfa Province on 2 June 1994. The investigation on the murder was launched again reported on 27 March 2013.

Former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, Head of the General Staff Doğan Güreş and Sedat Bucak are the suspects of the new investigation of Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecution Office.

(03/168) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…

Gökhan Köse (25) and Umur Aslan Köse (35) had an accident as they were going to Rize from Trabzon Province on 21 March 2013 and they were beaten by the police officers in the hospital. They made an application to the Human Rights Association’s Rize Branch for judicial support on 25 March 2013.

(03/169) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…

Güven Karakuş (17) had died after the accident as he was carrying the glass in his school Evyap Endüstri Vocational High School in Ayazağa District of İstanbul Province on 6 September 2008. The case was finalised on his murder and his family reacted to the verdict of the court in Çağlayan Courthouse.

Güven Karakuş’s parents and his two brothers were taken to the police station inside the courthouse and beaten reported on 25 March 2013.

(03/170) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 26 March 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/171) Attack on Kurdish workers in İstanbul Province…

Seven workers were wounded in the attack of the right-winger on the Kurdish construction workers in Beyciler Village of Silivri District of İstanbul Province on 25 March 2013.

(03/172) Tried people…

Hatay Chief Public Prosecution Office had finalised the indictment against 16 Mustafa Kemal University students in connection with the protest in the anniversary of the Halepçe Massacre (16 March 1988) in Hatay Province on 15 March 2012, on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “insulting a public officer due to the performance of his public duty” under Article 125 of TPC. Hatay Penal Court of First Instance No. 2 will begin to hear the case on 21 May 2013 .

(03/173) Tried people…

On 26 March 2013a Çanakkale Penal Court of First Instance No. 1 began to hear the case against Forty-nine people who had protested the Grand National Assembly of Turkey’s (GNAT) resolution that authorised Turkish Armed Forces to conduct cross border operations in Syria in Çanakkale Province on 4 October 2012 on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “insulting a public officer due to the performance of his public duty” under Article 125 of TPC.

The court heard the legal arguments of the defendants and adjourned the hearing to hear the rest.

(03/174) Ongoing KCK Case in Mersin Province…

On 25 March 2013 Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 7 went on hearing the case against 37 defendants -4 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in Mersin Province in 2009

The court heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and released Abdulrahman Demir, Ercan Alp, İsmail Çelik and Tahir Aydın. The next hearing will be 25 September 2013.

(03/175) Ongoing DHKP/C Operation…

On 20 March 2013 Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front -Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Parti/Cephesi (DHKP/C) had undertook the attacks on the ministry of Justice and the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) General Centre in Ankara Province on 19 March 2013.

On 26 March 2013 Ministry of Interior Affairs Muammer Güler stated that three people were arrested in home raids on 22 March and 25 March 2013.

(03/176) Home raids in Diyarbakır Province…

On 26 March 2013 four juveniles were detained in home raids on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law in the Newroz Celebration in Hazro District of Diyarbakır Province on 19 March 2013.

 

28 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/177) Şükrü Talay Case…

On 20 March 2013 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 1 went on hearing the case against seven special task force department police officers Ergün Yılmaz, Murat Tahsin, Mustafa Atlı, Murat Özön, Hasan Bulut, Mehmet İniş and Uğur Doğan who had killed Şükrü Talay, a peasant by beating in Başkale District of Van Province on 29 August 1997.

The local court had sentenced the police officers three times before but the Supreme Court of Appeals annulled the verdicts. Defendant Hasan Bulut did not participate in the hearing and the court adjudicated to determine the address of the defendant and adjourned the hearing to 29 May 2013.

(03/178) Death in prison…

Pre-trial detainee Eyüp Günay (68) committed suicide by hanging himself in Bartın F Type of Closed Prison on 27 March 2013.

(03/179) Fire in the refugee camp…

Sudra (7) who was wounded with her two siblings in the fire in the refugee camp in Akçakale District of Şanlıurfa Province on 27 March 2013, died.

(03/180) Coercion in prison…

Hemgin Durak was transferred from Rize L Type of Closed Prison to Kırıkkale F Type of Closed Prison against his will on 24 March 2013.

(03/181) Excessive use of force by law enforcement officers…

Police teams were seen in a surveillance camera record as beating a juvenile and also beat and arrested Selahattin Aysu who objected them in Esenler District of İstanbul Province on 23 March 2013.

(03/182) Violence in primary school…

M.Ö. (11), Hasibe Hasar Gürbüz Primary School student, was beaten by his/her teacher R.S. on the grounds that he/she participated in the Newroz Celebration in Uşak Province on 25 March 2013. M.Ö.’s made an official complaint to the Ministry of National Education.

(03/183) Finalised Devrimci Sol Case…

Üsküdar Heavy Penal Court No. 1 had sentenced 39 people to life sentence in Devrimci Sol case, one of the longest political cases which was finalised after 32 years of pending. The Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chambers No. 9 decided to drop the case due to time limitation on 27 March 2013.

(03/184) Ongoing KCK Case in Mardin Province…

On 26 March 2013 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 8 went on hearing the case against 51 defendants -8 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to the KCK/TM operation in Mardin Province.

The court read the evidences against the defendants and released pre-trial detainees Mardin Province General Assembly member Tahir Adal and BDP’s Mardin former Chairperson Abdullah Akikol. The hearing was adjourned to 4 June 2013.

(03/185) Intervention to the protest in İstanbul Province…

Six members and executives of the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) were beaten and then arrested in the protest against the practice of limiting the number of books in the living units with ten in Tekirdağ F Type of Closed Prison by the administration of the prison in front of the Prime Ministry’s Office in Dolmabahçe Palace in İstanbul Province on 27 March 2013.

 

29 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/186) Coercion in prison…

Edip Yalçınkaya, Sait Demir, Said Gürkan and Nuri Tiryaki who had been transferred from Bingöl M Type of Closed Prison to Çankırı E Type of Closed Prison were beaten in the entrance of the latter prison reported on 27 March 2013.

(03/187) Coercion in prison…

Lawyers Rezan Sarıca, Cengiz Yürekli and Mazlum Dinç were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 28 March 2013 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(03/189) Convicted juveniles…

Police teams had arrested 13 students who had protested Ali Demir the chairperson of the Student Selection and Placement Center ÖSYM in Ondokuz Mayıs University (Samsun) on 20 February 2012.

Samsun Heavy Penal Court for Juveniles sentenced four juveniles to 3 months and 10 days of imprisonment each on charges of “resisting public officers due to his duty” reported on 28 March 2013.

(03/190) Convicted People…

On 28 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 9 went on hearing the case against the 29 defendants who had been detained Mustafa Kemal (1 May) Quarter of Ataşehir District of İstanbul Province on 11 October 2007 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation –Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP)” under Article 314 of TPC.

The court sentenced 12 defendants -Seryoldaş Akar, Hüseyin Tunç, Özkan Adıgüzel, Süleyman Yıldırım, Suat Patır, Fırat Dalga, Erdinç Araç, Ercan Karabulut, Selver Orman, Birkan Şahin, Coşkun Günay, Gözel Tektaş- to 26 years and 5 months of imprisonment each, on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC and “plundering”. 14 people were acquitted and pre-trial detainee Coşkun Günay was released.

(03/191) Ongoing 2nd KCK/TM Main Case İstanbul Province…

On 28 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 16 went on hearing the case against 50 defendants -46 lawyers Century’s Law Office/35 pre-trial detainees- who had been subjected to KCK investigation in İstanbul Province on charges of “being a member and executive of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC and “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 220/7.

The court heard the defendants in Kurdish and released 4 pre-trial detainees Şaziye Öner, Mustafa Eraslan, Mehmet Sabırtaş and Cemal Demir and adjudicated to hear informant İrfan Dündar without his presence in the hearings. The hearing was adjourned to 20 June 2013.

(03/192) Intervention to the protest against the demolition of slums…

Nineteen people were wounded in the intervention of the police teams with gas bombs and pressured water to the protestors in Kocaeli Province on 28 March 2013.

(03/193) Home raid in Ardahan Province…

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and Province General Assembly member Ömer Yılmaz was detained in home raid on the grounds that having explosives in Göle District of Ardahan Province on 28 March 2013.

(03/194) Home raids in Siirt Province…

Eight people were detained in home raids Siirt Province on 28 March 2013.

(03/195) Home raids in Şırnak Province…

Two people were detained in home raids in Cizre District of Şırnak Province on 27 March 2013.

 

30-31 March 2013 Daily Human Rights Report

(03/196) Nurhak Çartay Case…

Nurhak Çartay (18) had been seriously wounded from the back of his neck by police fire on the grounds that he did not obey the stop warning as he was driving in Sur District of Diyarbakır Province on 17 July 2012 and died in Diyarbakır State Hospital on 22 July 2012.

Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 1 began to hear the case against police officer Ö.G.G. on charges of “homicide with probable intention on 29 March 2013. The court heard the legal argument of police officer Ö.G.G. and 8 witnesses -3 police officers- and declined the demand for the detention of officer.

(03/197) Ongoing case on death with torture in detention…

On 27 October 2010 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 3 had sentenced sub-lieutenant Salih Üner (who has “Rambo” as nickname) to life sentence in solitary confinement and with no possibility of parole in connection with killing Abdulkadir Kurt (36) with torture who had been detained in Ağıllı Village of Bismil District of Diyarbakır Province on 19 February 1992 on charges of “homicide with torture with evil sentiments”. The court had also acquitted 14 soldiers.

The Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chambers No. 1 annulled the verdict on the grounds that some of the witnesses were not faced with the defendant and some of the documents were not read in the hearings reported on 11 February 2013.

After the verdict of the Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chambers No. 1 the next hearing will be on 11 April 2013.

(03/198) 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 29 March 2012 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against 13 defendants -7 pre-trial detainees-. The prosecutor stated in his comment that the illegal organisation put a halt to its violence so the pre-trial detainees could not support violent activities against the social peace so they should be released. The court heard the legal arguments in Kurdish and released 7 pre-trial detainees.

The court adjourned the hearing to 22 April 2013.

(03/199) Tried people…

Police teams had interfered to the demonstration in Pamukkale University to support the hunger strikes in prison and arrested 101 students on 2 November 2012. The students had been released shortly after. The prosecutor objected the verdict and six students detained on 17 November 2012. Nineteen caught warranties were issued.

İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 12 accepted the indictment against 101 students -25 pre-trial detainees- on charges of “committing offence on behalf of an organisation although he is not a member” under Article 220/6 of TPC, “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”, “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law “resisting public officers due to his duty”. The prosecutor asked 40 years of imprisonment for each of the defendants.

On 28 March 2013 İzmir Heavy Penal Court No. 12 began to hear the case. First two days the court heard the defendants and on 29 March 2013, the court detained Şafak Günce who would like to make his legal argument in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to 26 May 2013.

(03/200) Ongoing MLKP Case…

On 29 March 2013 İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 11 began to hear the case against the case Özkan Gerçek and Ömer Adıgüzel in connection with the incident in Avcılar District of İstanbul Province on 8 November 2009 (They had quarrelled with police teams and did not obey stop warning and wounded with police fire and had been detained without proper medical care) on charges of being a member of -Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP)”. The defendants stated in the hearing that they will not defend themselves on the grounds that they do not have their lawyers and asked for additional time for the preparation.

The court accepted the demand and adjourned the hearing to 3 May 2013.

(03/201) Coercion in Prison…

The families of the 9 pre-trial detainees and convicts in Çankırı Prison made an application to the İnsan Hakları Derneği/Human Rights Association’s (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch and stated that their sons were beaten by the guardians on the grounds that they had objected cavity search reported on 29 March 2013.

(03/202) Coercion in Prison…

Four pre-trial detainees and convicts in Bolu F Type of Closed Prison were beaten by the guardians who raided on their living unit on 21 March 2013, reported on 30 March 2013.

(03/203) Coercion in Prison…

Mehmet Emin Şen a prisoner in Elbistan (Kahramanmaraş) E Type of Closed Prison was beaten by the guardians on the grounds that he did not accept to give information about other prisoners reported on 30 March 2013.

(03/204) Intervention to the protest against minister in Mersin Province…

pPolice teams arrested ten members of the Halkevleri/People’s House who attempted to protest the Minister of Economy Zafer Çağlayan by spraying gas and beating in Mersin Province on 29 March 2013.

(03/205) Intervention to the demonstration in Adana Province…

Police teams used real bullets in the intervention to the demonstration for the birthday of Abdullah Öcalan in Adana Province on 30 March 2013 and wounded M.A. (16) from his leg.