HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• European Lawyers Delegation visits Amed for investigation 

  A delegation of European lawyers will visit the main Kurdish city Amed (Diyarbakır) from 21st to 24th January 2016. The 13 participants come from Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Austria.
• Prisoners exiled from İmralı: This is a message to Öcalan rather than us 

  Lawyers visited Çetin Arkaş and Nasrullah Kuran in Silivri Prison after their recent 'exile' from İmralı where they were being held together with Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan to serve as his secretariat during the resolution process.
• Hüseyin dies before the enforcement of ECtHR's interim injunction 

  As Turkish state forces continue to commit war crimes in the Kurdish towns under their siege for over a month now, genocidal attacks on civilian areas do also result in severe violations of basic rights.
• Öcalan's lawyers voice concerns as two prisoners exiled from İmralı 

  Lawyers from Asrın Law Office, which undertakes advocacy of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, voiced concerns over the situation on İmralı Island after two prisoners here were exiled to Silivri Prison in Istanbul.
• 20-year-old Rojava citizen killed in Turkish custody 

  Dılo Derviş from Rojava has been killed in custody by Turkish police after his detention in the southern province of Adana last August.
• ECtHR asks for defence from Turkey on curfew in Cizre 

  The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has asked defence from the Turkish state regarding the ongoing curfew and state of siege in Cizre district of Şırnak. Turkey has been asked to submit their defense until 8 January.
• YJA-Star guerrilla tortured after capture by soldiers in Varto 

  It came out that a guerrilla of the YJA-Star (Free Women's Troops) was tortured by soldiers who captured her wounded during a recent bombardment against a cemetery of guerrillas in Varto on 18 September.
• HRW: Turkey closes its borders to Syrian asylum seekers 

  Turkey has all but closed its borders to Syrian asylum seekers and is summarily pushing back Syrians detected as they try to cross, Human Rights Watch said in a detailed report yesterday.
• IHD: 617 children died in Turkey in 11 months 

  3,861 children suffered a violation of their rights and 617 others died during the 11 months of 2015. Among these, 57 lost their lives as a direct result of state violence. More than 6 thousand children are currently jailed in Turkish prisons.
• Kurdish political prisoners in Batman denounce torture and repression 

  Kurdish political prisoners in Batman have denounced torture and extreme repression.
• IHD Hakkari branch urges an end to İmralı isolation 

  IHD Hakkari branch pointed to the fact that the isolation in İmralı is getting deeper every day on the basis of a deliberate and unserious approach, and described the İmralı case as an unlawful and inhuman status and an execution.
• Only six policemen to be heard related to the torture of Hacı Birlik 

  Şırnak police directorate has only now submitted the names of the six policemen regarding the torture of Lokman Hacı Birlik whose dead body was dragged behind a police vehicle after his execution by police forces in Şırnak last month.
• Öcalan: I am in isolation, cannot present proper defense 

  The first hearing of the suit brought by PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers against Greece will be held at the Court of First Instance of Athens on November 9th.
• Severely ill prisoner put in solitary confinement 

  Severely ill prisoner Ali Kurban has been exiled to Silifke M Type Closed Prison and put in solitary confinement.
• Head of Amed Bar detained and taken to Istanbul 

  Head of Diyarbakır Bar Association, Tahir Elçi, was detained last night in the scope of a warrant of capture for defending that “PKK is not a terrorist organization”.
• Aziz Güler's family apply to ECHR to get their son's body from Rojava 

  Family of BÖG (United Forces of Freedom) Commander Aziz Güler has applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as his body is still denied access into Turkey since he lost his life in Rojava on September 21.
• IHD: 113 people were killed in the Kurdish region in the last 78 days 

  IHD (Human Rights Association) has announced that 113 people have been killed in the Kurdish region during the period between July 24 and October 8.
• Eğitim Sen Amed branches call on students to boycott schools 

  Amed branches of Eğitim Sen (Education Union) have announced support to the school boycott called by DTK in demand of education in mother tongue, and called on all the students and families to join the boycott.
• HDP: Intervention on the will of peoples is a constitutional crime 

  HDP deputy co-chair Meral Danış Beştaş said AKP’s decision to 'carry the ballot boxes' is an attempt to leave the HDP under the election threshold and a demonstration that further election frauds will take place in the Kurdish region.
• Campaign for Abdullah Demirbaş and all ill prisoners 

  A petition has been launched for the release of former co-mayor of Amed's Sur district municipality, Abdullah Demirbaş, and all ill prisoners held in Turkish jails.
• Heuschmann: Turkey violates the international humanitarian law 

  Coordinator of the Turkey Section of Amnesty International Switzerland, said it was unacceptable that Erdoğan dragged the country into a war once again after the defeat he suffered in June 7 election.
• Öcalan's lawyer: We receive no news from İmralı 

  Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyer Mahmut Şakar drew attention to the aggravated isolation imposed on Kurdish People’s Leader and said they could not obtain any information about his situation, primarily his health condition since April 5, 2015.
• Iranian lawyers condemn Turkey over attacks on Kurdish civilians 

  More than 124 lawyers and law experts from Iran undersigned a statement condemning the violence and destruction by the Turkish government against Kurdish people.
• Report on Cizre: State forces deliberately shot civilians dead 

  A report prepared by human rights organizations on Cizre reveals that state forces deliberately targeted and shot civilians, violated their right to health and denied them access to treatment.
• HDP, DBP, HDK, DTK delegation met PUK executives 

  A delegation composed of executives from HDP, DBP, HDK and DTK met executives of PUK in the party’s headquarters in Sulaimaniya city of South Kurdistan yesterday.