A meeting was organized at the Ankara Branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD) to expose the serious human rights violations against people who protested the arrest of the Istanbul Municipality mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu.

The meeting was attended by representatives of civil society organizations and political parties. The statement was delivered by IHD member Asım Barış Barışık, who said that the protests were met with violent police intervention, arbitrary detentions and arrests, and that those taken into custody were subjected to torture and ill-treatment.

According to data from IHD, at least 1,879 people were detained during the protests, 260 of whom were formally arrested, while 468 were released under judicial control. Among those taken into custody were at least 14 journalists.

Many of those detained were subjected to ill-treatment, including being handcuffed behind their backs, beaten, exposed to tear gas at close range, forced to undergo strip searches, and psychologically abused. During the protests at Middle East Technical University (METU), several students were reportedly injured due to excessive use of tear gas by the police, and one student’s leg was reportedly broken.

Statements made by the President of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), targeting media outlets that covered the protests, were interpreted as threats of closure. In addition, executives of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Egitim-Sen) were placed under house arrest and subjected to judicial control measures.

IHD also criticized the widespread restrictions imposed on public transportation and public spaces in Ankara, alongside the excessive police violence, emphasizing that these violations disregard fundamental rights and freedoms.

Demands

IHD listed its demands as follows:

"Initiate investigation processes against those who violate the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment,

End the use of handcuffing from behind, plastic bullets, gas canisters, tear gas, and similar crowd control weapons,

Cease police interventions and detentions carried out under the pretext of governorate-imposed bans, as well as all acts of torture and other forms of ill-treatment on the streets and in detention centers,

Release all individuals currently held in custody,

End the obstruction of journalists performing public duties, including the blocking of social media accounts and the detention and arrest of journalists,

Lift all bans imposed by the governorates."