HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• Şenyaşar family: 200 days demanding justice 

  The Şenyaşar family has been demanding justice for 200 days.
• Two kolbars killed in Turkish air strike laid to rest 

  Two kolbars killed as the result of an air strike carried out by the Turkish army, and whose bodies were sent to Rojhilat on Wednesday, were finally laid to rest on Thursday.
• PKK-PAJK Prison Committees commemorate prisoners murdered 25 years ago 

  The PKK-PAJK Prison Committees commemorated the ten political prisoners who were murdered in Amed prison 25 years ago.
• Court sentences IHD executive to 6 years and 3 months jail time 

  A top member of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Sait Çağlayan has been sentenced to more than 6 years in prison based on an anonymous witness statement.
• HPG guerrilla Ferit Danışman and YJA STAR guerrilla Büşra Kaya finally laid to rest 

  The remains of HPG guerrilla Ferit Danışman and YJA STAR guerrilla Büşra Kaya were finally laid to rest. They were given to their families 4 months after they passed away.
• Hakkari needs a new hospital 

  Hakkari is one of the provinces with fewer resources for the health system and its citizens have to go to other provinces for treatment.
• IHD Izmir branch records 6,383 rights violations in the Aegean Region in last 4 months 

  The IHD Izmir branch recorded 6,383 rights violations in the Aegean Region in 4 months.
• ‘Turkey does not even enforce its own laws in Imrali and other prisons’ 

  Hesekê Canton Court of Justice Prosecutor Mehmûd Cemîl said that Turkey does not respect laws when it comes to political prisoners, particularly Kurdish Leader Öcalan, remarking that Turkey pays no attention to the reports by the CPT.
• 1,098 rights defenders detained in Turkey in 6 months 

  The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey Documentation Centre reported that 1,988 rights defenders were detained between March 1 and August 31.
• Two kolbars killed by Turkish air strike left on the border for hours 

  The bodies of the two kolbars who were killed during the air strike carried out by the Turkish state on the border were left under the sun for hours.
• Violations of freedom of expression and right to assembly continued in August 

  The IHD and the TIHV-HRFT published a joint report on the violations of freedom of expression and right to assembly and demonstration in August.
• Suruç Families Initiative: Someone wants this case closed 

  The Suruç Families Initiative gathered once again to demand justice and said that someone wanted to close the case. The families called for participation in the hearing to be held on 29 September.
• Conscientious objector Zana Aksu sentenced to imprisonment 

  Conscientious objector and human rights activist Zana Aksu has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined 10,000 TL for refusing to obey orders by a Turkish court in Siirt.
• CoE Committee of Ministers urges Turkey ro release Demirtaş and Kavala 

  The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has decided to wait for Osman Kavala’s release before imposing sanctions on Turkey; it has also extended the time given to the government about Demirtaş till September 30.
• 83-year-old seriously ill prisoner Özkan remains in jail 

  83-year-old seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Emin Özkan was not released. The new hearing was held on Thursday. Özkan has been in prison for 25 years.
• ‘Law enforcement officers are well aware of the policy of impunity’ 

  Amed Bar Association Child Rights Centre head Emin Gün said that there are law enforcement officers who are very aware of the policy of impunity and added that there is no government official convicted for murders caused by armoured police vehicles.
• Family of man killed by Iranian soldiers still waiting for a statement on the murder 

  The family of 25-year-old Rüstem Çakmak, who was killed by Iranian soldiers in his village in Şemdinli a month ago, has not even been given a statement. This was not the first murder committed in the border regions of Hakkari.
• Mother Şenyaşar calls for support from lawyers 

  Emine Şenyaşar has called for support from all lawyers for her continuing resistance.
• ECtHR finds right violations in the detention of former mayor of Siirt 

  Pre-trial detention of the mayor of a city in south-east Turkey was unjustified and breached his right to freedom of expression, ruled the ECtHR on Tuesday.
• IHD Van chair calls to end impunity on the case of 2 villagers thrown from military helicopter 

  IHD Van branch chair, Mehmet Karataş, said that the investigation into the torture of 2 villagers being thrown from a military helicopter in Çatak was not properly carried out and called for an end to impunity.
• Cihad Hesen still in the hands of Hewler authorities after 97 days 

  The Autonomous Administration Hewler representative, Cihad Hesen, has not yet been released and the authorities have given no news about him for 97 days.
• Prisoners continue hunger strike against isolation 

  The hunger strike of the political prisoners in Turkey’s prisons against the Imrali isolation marks its 290th day. The solidarity hunger strikes in Maxmur and Greece also continue.
• Health of 72 detainees on death fast in Behdinan worsening 

  The health of 72 detainees, who went on death fast in Behdinan on 6 September, was said to have worsened. Activists issued a call to the South Kurdistan authorities.
• "Children are deprived of their basic right to life" 

  In Northern Kurdistan, children are repeatedly killed by armored cars driving at high speed through residential neighborhoods. Child rights activist Meltem Akboğa believes that these are neither isolated incidents nor accidents.
• Prisoners continue hunger strike against isolation 

  The hunger strike of the political prisoners in Turkey’s prisons against the Imrali isolation marks its 289th day. The solidarity hunger strikes in Maxmur and Greece also continue.