Human Rights

Latest News

• Turkish authorities reject 777th appeal to visit Öcalan 

  The 777th application filed by lawyers of Kurdish people's Leader Abdullah Öcalan to meet with their clients was rejected once again by the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
• Saturday Mothers demanded justice for the 718th week 

  Saturday Mothers met in Istanbul for the last Saturday of 2018.
• Sick prisoner passes away during hearing 

  Sick prisoner Ibrahim Akbaba suffered a cardiac arrest during his trial in Mardin which he attended through the video conferencing system SEGBIS from the Edirne Type F Prison and lost his life.
• Kurdish political prisoner Jalalian banned from weekly meeting 

  Zeinab Jalalian, a Kurdish political prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, was once again banned from the weekly meeting by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. Also, Khoy Prison officials have denied her access to necessary medicine.
• Peace Mothers faced police repression in Istanbul 

  Members of the Peace Mothers Assembly gathered in front of their headquarters in Fatih, Istanbul, to protest the isolation imposed on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
• Platform Against Isolation informs on hunger strikes in jails 

  “64 prisoners detained in jails in various provinces began an indefinite and irreversible hunger strike on different dates. Over 600 prisoners took part in an alternate hunger strike action.”
• PKK prisoners attacked in prison shuttle 

  PKK prisoners in the Bolu Type F Prison were attacked by a criminal convict as part of a prison administration organization.
• Amed demands justice and truth for the disappeared 

  The Human Rights Association in Amed asked for justice and truth for the disappeared while in state forces custody.
• 9 prisoners on indefinite hunger strike 

  The indefinite nonalternating hunger strike 6 female prisoners in Elazig went on 48 days ago demands an end to the isolation. Three more prisoners have started a hunger strike on December 17.
• Two political prisoners entered day 94 of death fast 

  Political prisoners Kadir Karabak and Esat Naci Yıldırım have been on death fast for 94 days in Van Prison and are suffering serious health problems.
• HRW Director: CPT has clear standards, isolation is unacceptable 

  Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey director of Human Rights Watch, explains that the Anti-torture Committee is bound by clear standards: "It is unacceptable that Öcalan has not been able to receive any visitors for two years."
• IHD calls for the release of ill prisoner Özdemir 

  The Freedom for ill prisoners Initiative drew attention to the condition of sick prisoners for the 1,708th day.
• London determines perpetrators of Tahir Elci murder 

  Amed Bar Association President Cihan Aydin announced that the report prepared by the University of London Forensic Architecture Center includes possible perpetrators and suspects for the murder of Tahir Elci.
• 10.000 rights violations in the Kurdistan Region in 10 months 

  Almost 10.000 rights violations were recorded in the Kurdistan Region in 10 months.
• Saturday Mothers: We won’t give up our search for justice 

  The Saturday Mothers were once again prevented from meeting in Galatasaray Square, traditional place of their action.
• Families appeal to visit Imrali 

  Families of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the 3 other prisoners in Imrali appealed to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to visit their relatives.
• Hunger strike in prisons reached day 9 

  Dozens of prisoners have joined the hunger strike to demand an end to the isolation regime imposed on Öcalan.
• Hunger strikes to protest the isolation of Öcalan spread 

  The hunger strikes to support Ms. Güven and protest the isolation of Mr. Öcalan are spreading outside the prisons as well.
• Female prisoner battered by wardens in front of her mother 

  Prisoner Remziye Karadag in Elazig was attacked by wardens with batons in front of her mother during visitation.
• Seventh group takes over the hunger strike in Hewler 

  Hunger strikes demanding an end to the isolation regime on Öcalan continue growing.
• HDP MP goes on hunger strike against isolation 

  HDP Van MP Muazzez Orhan has started a 3-day hunger strike in solidarity with Hakkari MP Leyla Güven.
• Amed, Batman and Izmir: Justice for the disappeared 

  Actions were held in Amed, Batman and Izmir to demand justice and truth for the disappeared while in state forces custody.
• Family of Öcalan denied visit to İmralı 

  The family of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan had their application rejected once again.  
• Saturday Mothers demand justice for 714th week 

  The Saturday Mothers gathered in Istanbul once again despite the police blockade.
• Keskin: The isolation has spread outside of Imrali 

  IHD Co-chair Eren Keskin pointed out that there has been a sytsemic isolation in place in Imrali for the last 19 years and stated that the isolation has spread outside of Imrali.