Human Rights Association (İHD) Amed Branch released report on right violations committed in the North Kurdistan region during the first 6 months of 2015.

In its report, Human Rights Association (İHD) Amed Branch stated that 6 thousand 912 human rights violations were made in North Kurdistan during the first 6 months of 2015. İHD Vice-President and Amed Branch President Raci Bilici stated that the isolation of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan carries the risk of returning to an atmosphere of armed confrontation. İHD Central Executive Committee member and regional representative Abdulselam İnceören and Amed Branch administrators Gamze Yalçın, Hatice Demir and Emin Ermin also participated in the press conference where İHD shared its report with the public.

'THE ISOLATION OF MR. ÖCALAN THREATENS SOCIAL PEACE'

İHD Vice-President Bilici recalled the deadlock in the solution process and criticized Turkish President Erdoğan’s anti-solution and polarizing discourse during the June 7 elections. Bilici stated that the isolation of Mr. Öcalan was unlawful and threatened social peace in Turkey.

Bilici said that the deadlock in the solution process enabled the increasing military activities and provocation attempts in the region, and hopes of peoples in Turkey and Kurdistan for peace and solution were being replaced by anxious sentiments.

'TURKEY MUST TAKE A CLEAR STANCE AGAINST ISIS'

Bilici criticized the AKP government’s foreign policy and said that the state’s failure to go beyond verbal denials of Turkish support to ISIS raises eyebrows on the collaboration between ISIS and Turkey. Bilici called upon the Turkish government to adopt more peaceful policies towards Syria and Rojava, and take a clear stance against ISIS gangs that have transformed into a major threat in the region.

Bilici stated that the human rights violations in the first 6 months of 2015 ranged from torture, violation of the freedom of expression and media, and violation of the right to protest to violence against women and children, and violation of economic and social rights.

'THE STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF PRISONERS'

Bilici stated that there were 721 sick people, 282 of whom in critical conditions, whose rights have been increasingly violated in Turkish prisons. Bilici said that the state was responsible for the death of tens of prisoners in Turkey.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Bilici stated that violence against women and children increased and 33 women were massacred by male violence during the first 6 months of 2015. During the same time period, 13 women and 7 children experienced sexual abuse, and 12 children were massacred.

WORK-RELATED MURDERS

Bilici noted that freedom of thought, expression and mobilization have been increasingly violated as 570 people were investigated and 316 people received unfair sentences during the first 6 months of 2015. Bilici noted that economic and social rights have also been violated through work-related murders, administrative investigations and exiles and the lack of salary payments.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS TOLL

After Bilici’s speech, İHD Central Executive Committee member and regional representative Abdulselam İnceören shared the following data on human rights violations that have taken place in North Kurdistan between January-July, 2015:

*Killed or injured by the police or the gendarme: 7 dead, 10 injured

*Killed or injured by village guards: 2 injured

*Killed or injured by official negligence: 7 dead, 1 injured

*Women’s suicides: 17 suicides, 4 suicide attempts

*Children’s suicides: 15 suicides, 1 suicide attempt

*Suspicious Police/Soldier casualties: 9 dead, 1 wounded

*Taken under custody: 1443, 227 of whom are children

*Arrested: 325, 21 of whom are children

*Torture and bad treatment: 130

*Intervention in social events: 44 injured/beaten

*Investigated and prosecuted: 332

*Within-prison violations: 181

*Violations of economic and social rights: 770

*Total number of human rights violations: 6912