HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• 20 bar associations demand release of Aysel Tuğluk 

  20 bar associations issued a joint statement saying that the right to life of HDP politician Aysel Tuğluk, who remains in prison despite her illness getting worse, was violated and demanded that she be released immediately.
• IHD co-chair faces two decades in prison 

  The IHD co-chairman Öztürk Türkdoğan is facing trial for statements on the Kurdish question and the genocide of the Armenian nation. Three cases have been opened against the 52-year-old, who faces more than two decades in prison.
• Prisoners call for action for elderly and sick inmates 

  Five political prisoners in the high-security Edirne prison in western Turkey point to the life-threatening condition of elderly fellow prisoners and demand their immediate release.
• Ill prisoner Turan Çabuk fighting for his life in intensive care 

  Turan Çabuk, a seriously ill prisoner who suffered a brain haemorrhage, has been fighting for his life in the intensive care unit for 12 days.
• MP Kemalbay: The health condition of prisoners on hunger strike is critical 

  Prisoners in Buca are on their 55th day of hunger strike. Serpil Kemalbay, a deputy of the HDP, stated that the detainees' health is deteriorating.
• Letter to the UN calls for urgent action for Aysel Tuğluk 

  A letter was written to the United Nations requesting that jailed Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk and the seriously ill prisoners be released.
• Prisoner held in a solitary cell dies 

  Ramazan Turan, 70, who was imprisoned in a solitary cell, has passed away.
• Hüseyin Aydın says prisoners in Edirne fear for their safety 

  Hüseyin Aydın is in Edirne prison. He said that the guards threatened him and that their lives were in danger.
• Torture of political prisoners deported from Kayseri Bünyan Prison continues 

  Torture and ill-treatment against political prisoners deported from Kayseri Bünyan Prison to Malatya Akçadağ Prison last month continue.
• Life of severely ill prisoner Turan Çabuk still in danger 

  The life of severely ill prisoner Turan Çabuk, who was taken to the hospital after suffering a brain haemorrhage, is in danger.
• "We will not allow our children to die in prison" 

  In front of the Forensic Medicine Institute in Istanbul, relatives of political prisoners together with HDP MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu demanded the release of all sick prisoners.
• Health of prisoner Kazım Karataş rapidly deteriorating, says daughter 

  Political prisoner Kazım Karataş has been imprisoned for 30 years. He is seriously ill and his health is deteriorating rapidly.
• HDP Diyarbakır MP Tosun submits prisoners' petition about rights violation to Parliament 

  The petition written by prisoners held in Diyarbakır Women's Closed Prison about the violations of rights they suffered was brought to parliament by HDP Diyarbakır MP, Remziye Tosun.
• Justice Vigil of Şenyaşar family on day 317 

  For 317 days, Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit have been holding a vigil in front of the Palace of Justice in Urfa demanding justice for her husband and two of her sons, who were killed by an AKP mob in 2018.
• Political prisoners in Gümüşhane on hunger strike 

  In the Turkish prison of Gümüşhane, two political prisoners have gone on hunger strike after being forced into isolation cells.
• 21 kolbars were killed by Iranian and Turkish forces in 2021 

  In 2021, at least 46 Kurdish kolbars lost their lives and 122 kolbars were injured in the border areas as a result of shootings by border forces, natural disasters etc. Of the 46 kolbars that lost their lives, 21 were killed by Iranian and Turkish forces.
• Justice vigils in Amed and Van continue 

  The justice vigils of the prisoners' families are continuing in Amed and Van provinces. The activists called for participation in the democracy rally organized by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Amed and support to the mothers' vigils.
• Şenyaşar family continues vigil for justice in winter conditions 

  The Şenyaşar family who has been demanding justice for their murdered relatives is continuing justice vigil in winter conditions. The family said that justice vigils will spread into all the courthouses in Turkey.
• Refugees tortured on the border with Iran 

  People fleeing war and poverty continue to die trying to cross the Turkish-Iranian border and get one step closer to Europe. Countless reports by NGOs expose the torture suffered by refugees at the hands of Turkish soldiers.
• Prisoner Ölmez says violations of rights have increased in Antalya jail 

  Harun Ölmez is in prison in Antalya. He said that violations of rights have increased, that they are given 3 spoons of food a day and demanded people to "make our voices heard".
• Condition of ill prisoner Ruken Yıldız worsening 

  Ferhat Yıldız, brother of ill prisoner Ruken Yıldız, pointed out that his sister, who was deported to Iğdır S Type Prison, has been kept in an isolation cell for 7 months and her condition is getting worse.
• Sister of prisoner who died in jail says his brother's heart beat only for Kurdistan 

  Gule Güneş, sister of prisoner Halil Güneş, who stayed in jail for 29 years and came out of it dead, just 11 days before his release, said: "My brother's heart beat only for Kurdistan, he would say that he owed all his resistance to this love."
• Bundestag's Petitions Committee discusses recognition of ISIS genocide in Shengal 

  In February, the Bundestag's Petitions Committee will deal with the demand for the Islamic State genocide of the Yazidi community to be recognized as such.
• Solidarity Group with Aysel Tuğluk calls for release of Kurdish politician 

  The Solidarity Group with Aysel Tuğluk published a report and said that the Kurdish politician should be released immediately.
• Prisoners’ relatives vow to continue their vigils until justice is served 

  Families who have been on a justice vigil for prisoners at the Amed and Van bar associations emphasized that they would not accept the persecution against them and would continue to resist.