HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• Prisoner allegedly committs suicide 

  It was claimed that Macit Demir, who was taken into custody 3 days ago in Hakkari, died after committing suicide.
• Emine Şenyaşar sits in front of Urfa Courthouse for the 12th day demanding justice 

  The sit-in demanding justice carried out by the Şenyaşar Family in front of the Urfa Courthouse, continues on its 12th day.
• Activists in Copenhagen protest crimes carried out by Iran 

  PJAK organised an action in front of the Iranian Consulate in Copenhagen protesting the state crimes against Kurdish women carried out by the state.
• NGOs urge international community to deal with Öcalan rumours 

  MED TUHAD FED and TUAY-DER members made a joint press statement in Amed and called on the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the United Nations (UN) to deal with the rumours about Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
• HRW urges Turkey not to expel HDP MP from Parliament 

  Social media posting conviction a flagrant rights violation, says HRW regarding the case of HDP MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu who is accused of “spreading terrorism propaganda” on the basis of a 2016 social media post that did not advocate violence.
• Cizire Region Lawyers: Turkish government responsible for the life of Öcalan 

  Cizire Region Lawyers expressed serious concern about Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and urged the legal authorities to assume their duties and to pressure the Turkish state to allow a meeting with Imrali.
• Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers make new application to visit their client 

  Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers applied to meet with their clients urgently.
• No response so far to application for visit made by Öcalan's lawyers 

  No response has been given so far to the application made by the lawyers of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan demanding an urgent visit.
• Asrın Law Office: Enable communication with Imrali immediately 

  Rumors are spreading on social media that Abdullah Öcalan has died in prison. The Asrin Law Office, which represents the PKK founder and other prisoners on Imralı, demands immediate communication with their clients.
• 14 Bar Associations: Hunger strikers' demands should be fulfilled 

  14 bar associations in Turkey’s Kurdish region warned that hunger strikes in Turkish prisons have serious consequences for the health of prisoners and called for the legal demands of the prisoners to be fulfilled in order to avoid negative outcomes.
• Şenyaşar family enters 7th day of Vigil for justice 

  The Şenyaşar family are carrying out a vigil in Urfa demanding justice. They called “on everybody who has a conscience to support our action."
• Seriously ill prisoner dies in jail 

  Once again, a seriously ill prisoner has died in Turkish custody. Hayrettin Yılmaz was 65 years old and suffered from lung cancer. Although he could no longer care for himself alone, he was isolated for a long time.
• “Failure to free Kavala, Demirtaş makes mockery of Erdogan’s Human Rights Action Plan” 

  “Turkish authorities must release Kavala and Demirtaş, allow human rights defenders to do their work and stop putting undue pressure on their judges," said the HRW.
• Political prisoners continue to be harassed 

  Political prisoners deported from Mardin to Amed, put under pressure and not even given bread or tea.
• Jailed SGDF members held in solitary confinement for 5 months 

  Lawyer Sezin Uçar, a member of EHB said that 3 jailed members of SGDF were tortured in Sincan Prison and have been kept in a solitary cell since 19 October 2020 on the grounds that they reject standing up during inmate count.
• Kurdish books of prisoners seized in Şırnak 

  Prisoner Nezir Katar, in her weekly phone call with her family, reported that their wards were raided by the guards and the Kurdish books were confiscated.
• Families apply to be granted visit to Imrali 

  Families of Abdullah Öcalan and three other political prisoners in Imralı island prison applied once again to be granted a visit.
• University of Mainz in solidarity with Boğaziçi University  

  The Senate and Rector's Office of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany released a written statement in solidarity with Boğaziçi University in Istanbul.
• Turkish soldiers torture a family in Ağrı countryside 

  Murat Uygar, who was tortured together with his family by the Turkish military, applied the Human Rights Association (IHD) and the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV).
• Şenyaşar family once again demands justice in front of Urfa Court 

  Şenyaşar family continues its protest in front of the courthouse in Urfa to denounce the killings of family members by relatives and bodyguards AKP deputy Ibrahim Halil Yıldız in Suruç in 2018.
• Family of guerrilla Sozdar Aslan recovers her remains after 17 months 

  The Turkish state delivered the body of HPG guerrilla Sozdar Aslan, who fell a martyr in the Van countryside, to her family after 17 months.
• Prisoners enter day 103 of their hunger strike against isolation and rights violation 

  An indefinite alternating hunger strike was undertaken by PKK and PAJK prisoners on 27 November demanding the end of the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan and protesting violations of rights in the country's jails.
• European parliamentarians launch campaign for Demirtaş's freedom 

  European parliamentarians launched a campaign for the release of HDP’s former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been in prison for 4 years.
• Three activists released in East Kurdistan 

  In Eastern Kurdistan, three activists arrested in the wake of the wave of repression by the Iranian authorities that began in January have been released on bail. At least 59 people are still in custody.
• IHD visits Leyla Güven in prison 

  A delegation of the IHD has visited Kurdish politician Leyla Güven in prison. The former HDP deputy is said to be in good health and psychologically well.