Human Rights

Latest News

• Turkey rejects another appeal for a meeting with Öcalan 

  Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has rejected yet another appeal by the families of İmralı prisoners to meet with their relatives, Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and three other inmates.
• Scores of children on prison hunger strike in Turkey 

  Scores of children in Hatay Juvenile Prison and Denizli Juvenile Prison started a hunger strike to protest the prison conditions.
• Prisoners in Tarsus: “We have been tortured with electricity” 

  One of the prisoners in Tarsus Hadi Elçiçek spoke with his son on the phone and told him about the torture they had been subjected to since December 7 and said, “We have also been subjected to torture with electricity.”
• Prisoner with cancer Seyran Demir faces death 

  Father Nadir Demir stated that his imprisoned cancer patient daughter Seyran Demir is facing imminent death and called for solidarity.
• UNAMI investigates human rights violations in Tuz Khurmatu 

  A team from the Human Rights office of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) conducted a mission to Tuz Khurmatu in Salah al-Din Governorate on 7 December 2017 to investigate reports of punitive destruction of property of residents.
• Prisoners in Osmaniye to go on hunger strike 

  Prisoners in the Osmaniye T2 Closed Prison will be going on an indefinite-alternate hunger strike because of the rights violations they have suffered.
• Kurdish political prisoner in Rojhilat on hunger strike 

  Political prisoner Ramin Hisen Penahi in Rojhilat’s Sine (Sanandaj) province is on hunger strike for a week in order for his legal demands to be met.
• Freemuse starts a campaign for Kurdish musician 

  Freemuse, an international organization that defends artistic freedoms, started a campaign for Kurdish musician Ferhat Tunç.
• Zeinab Jalalian still refuses to take medication 

  Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian has been refusing to take medication since February 2017 in order to protest the inhumane practices in prison.
• Human Rights Week: “Torture has been legitimized in Turkey” 

  TİHV Diyarbakır Representative Barış Yavuz pointed out that torture has been legitimized by AKP’s blatant practices and said that inhumane torture practices continue in prisons they are not allowed to inspect.
• Another appeal to meet with Öcalan rejected 

  Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has rejected another appeal by the families of İmralı prisoners to meet with their relatives, Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and three other inmates.
• Lawyers’ appeal to visit Öcalan rejected for the 710th time 

  The appeal of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyers to meet with their client has been rejected for the 710th time by Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
• Canine search in Turkish prison where a hunger strike continues 

  It came out that canine searches are conducted in Kürkçüler F Type Prison where political prisoners are on hunger strike.
• Kurdish political prisoner tortured heavily in Rojhilat 

  Kurdish political prisoner Efşin Hisên Penahi, who had been detained and arrested in Rojhilat, has been subjected to torture by Iranian forces. Efşin’s health had suffered after the intense torture, but reportedly hasn’t been taken to a hospital.
• Öcalan’s family has their appeal for a visit to İmralı rejected 

  Turkish officials have rejected the appeal of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s family for a visit to İmralı Island Prison where he is held in aggravated isolation.
• ECHR accepts appeal by Amedspor 

  The European Court of Human Rights has accepted an appeal by Amedspor and requested defense from Turkey.
• Political prisoners tortured in Patnos: Broken ribs 

  Political prisoners exiled from Samsun to Patnos have been tortured to the point where their ribs were broken.
• Dozens of prisoners forcibly transferred to other prisons 

  Dozens of prisoners in Balıkesir and Muş provinces have been sent to prisons in Kayseri and İzmir.
• PKK prisoner sets himself on fire against isolation and pressures 

  PKK prisoner Yahya Özmen in Edirne F Type Prison set himself on fire in protest at the isolation on Öcalan and prison conditions. Özmen was not taken to hospital and is held in prison infirmary.
• No information on the health of prisoners on hunger strike 

  The hunger strike launched by female prisoners in the Elazığ Type T Prison has entered its 28th day. No information can be obtained from the prison about the health of prisoners.
• Kurdish committee meets with the CPT 

  The sit-in launched in Strasbourg in front of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) with the demand that the CPT visit Imrali has completed its 32nd day.
• 250 lawyers’ appeal to visit Öcalan rejected 

  The appeal submitted by 250 lawyers to Bursa Public Prosecutor’s office to meet with Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, has been rejected.
• 250 lawyers appeal to meet with Öcalan 

  250 lawyers have appealed to Bursa Public Prosecutor’s office to meet with Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
• 250 lawyers take action for Öcalan 

  250 lawyers have taken action to meet with Öcalan. The lawyers held a press conference before they submitted the appeal.
• Öcalan’s lawyers submit report on isolation to the CPT 

  Öcalan’s lawyers have prepared a report on the isolation and submitted it to the CPT. The report stresses that there has been absolutely no information coming out of the Imrali island for 417 days.