HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• 56 days without news of Cihad Hesen, still in the hands of the South Kurdistan authorities 

  The Autonomous Administration Hewler representative, Cihad Hesen, has not yet been released and the authorities have given no news about him for 56 days.
• Hunger strikes in prison reach day 251 

  The hunger strike launched by prisoners against the isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan continues on its 251st day. The solidarity hunger strike in Maxmur has reached day 230 and day 213 in Greece.
• HDP: Turkey should recognize the Yazidi genocide, stop aggression  

  HDP Peoples and Beliefs Commission co-chair, Tülay Hatimoğulları, issued a statement on the 7th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide and called on Turkey to recognize this genocide and abandon its aggressive policies.
• Group from Berlin takes over Freedom for Öcalan Vigil 

  The Freedom for Öcalan Vigil, the longest action carried out by the Kurds in Europe, was taken over by a group from Berlin, in week 476.
• Eren Keskin warns of “a very dangerous state of affairs" 

  After the murder of a Kurdish family in Konya, the atmosphere in Turkey is tense. The human rights lawyer Eren Keskin sees the agitation, which is mainly carried out on social media, as an extremely dangerous state of affairs.
• Images of racist attack in Konya released 

  The MA news agency has published recordings from a surveillance camera at the house of the Kurdish family Dedeoğulları. It shows scenes of the racist attack and one of the perpetrators.
• Family murdered in Konya will be buried in Saraçoğlu Cemetery 

  The 7 family members killed by an AKP-MHP racist group in Konya will be buried in the Saraçoğlu Cemetery after the afternoon prayer. The family's lawyer, Abdurrahman Karabulut, said: "We expect our peoples to stand up against this racist massacre."
• HDP co-chair Sancar: "The government's language of hatred is responsible for massacre in Konya" 

  HDP co-chair Mithat Sancar said: "The government's language of hatred and provocation is the main responsible for this massacre."
• KCDK-E calls on people to protest killing of Kurdish family in Konya 

  KCDK-E said that the killing of 7 people, including 3 women, in Konya, was carried out under the control of the state, and called on people “to react by taking to the streets everywhere."
• Lawyer Karabulut: Murder of Kurdish family in Konya favoured by impunity 

  Abdurrahman Karabulut, the lawyer of the Kurdish family murdered in Konya, said, "This is an openly racist attack. The perpetrators took courage from impunity."
• HDP to meet urgently after murder of Kurdish family in Konya 

  After the racist attack on a Kurdish family in Konya the HDP decided to meet "urgently".
• Hunger strike in prisons reaches day 246 

  The hunger strike launched by prisoners against the isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan continues on its 246th day. The solidarity hunger strike in Maxmur has reached day 225 and day 208 in Greece.
• IHD Diyarbakir Prison Commission says violations of rights increased in Diyarbakır Campus Prison  

  IHD Diyarbakir Prison Commission visited Diyarbakır Campus Prison and said violations of rights are increasing.
• Lawyer of Şenyaşar family calls on bar association to take action 

  Şenyaşar family continues their vigil for justice on the 143rd day. Serhan Kurt, lawyer of the family, called on bar associations to stand with the family.
• NGOs from Turkey turn to Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers for Öcalan 

  Several rights organizations from Turkey have turned to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe over the prison conditions of Abdullah Öcalan and three other political prisoners, demanding the implementation of ECtHR rulings.
• Muş Bar says cirmustances of death of little boy in Koran school must be clarified 

  Twelve-year-old Mehmet Halil Yavuz was found hanged on the door handle of the toilet of a Koran school in Muş. Confidentiality was imposed on the autopsy report and a ban on publication was imposed on the case.
• Prisoners in Silivri are left to die, says mother of Kadir Kaya 

  Songül Taştan’s mother spoke on the phone with Kadir Kaya, who was imprisoned in Silivri Prison No. 5, where the torture had reached unbearable levels. "Mom, we can't breathe anymore," said Kadir.
• Dutch Kurdish Women's Movement takes over "Freedom for Öcalan Vigil" in Strasbourg 

  Activists of the Dutch Kurdish Women's Movement took over the "Freedom for Öcalan Vigil" in Strasbourg on its 475th week.
• Öcalan lawyers demand CPT to act about isolation in Imrali 

  Lawyers of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan appealed to the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and called on the committee to uphold its responsibilities.
• GÖÇİZDER: Government and media responsible for the wave of racist attacks 

  The Migration Monitoring Association (GÖÇİZDER) pointed out the attacks against the Kurds and refugees and said, “Media and political circles are responsible for the current wave of attacks, deaths and lynch cases.”
• UN says record high number of civilian casualties 

  Record numbers of civilians have been killed and injured in Afghanistan in intense fighting since 1 May, when international forces began their final drawdown and the Taliban launched a major offensive.
• IHD Istanbul branch chair calls on authorities to comply with law as hunger strikes reach day 241 

  IHD Istanbul Branch chair, Gülseren Yoleri, drew attention to the hunger strike in prison, which has entered its 241st day, and called on the authorities to comply with the law.
• Eren Keskin: Racism is not punished in Turkey 

  Human rights lawyer Eren Keskin assesses the increasing lynchings of Kurdish people in Turkey as political violence. Racism does not appear in the Turkish penal code, the authorities deny a racist connection.
• Şenyaşar family demanding justice for 138 days 

  On the 138th day of their "vigil for justice", the Şenyaşar family said that the justice guardians will always exist to counter this order.
• Arrested when he was 17, sentenced to 22 years without a fair trial 

  Kadri Sancar, who was arrested during the self-government resistance in Dargeçit when he was 17, saw his sentence upheld by the Court of Cassation.