The Human Rights Association (IHD) has published the “Report on Human Rights Violations in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia for the first 6 months of 2018”.

Compiled by the IHD Amed Branch, it was presented in a press conference held at the branch office.

Lawyer Abdullah Zeytun, IHD Amed Branch President read the statement while Abdusselam İnceören, Regional Representative of the IHD, went through the violations in detail.

Zeytun pointed out that the State of Emergency (OHAL) was responsible for limitation and restriction of freedom of thought and expression, freedom of the press, economic and social rights and freedom of the person, as well as being the source of grievance and security violations and serious human rights violations.

Zeytun also said: "It is clear that the presidential government system is in contradiction with the concept of a pluralist-democratic society. The 25-articles law package currently discussed in the Parliament is an attempt of actually making the OHAL permanent. The new law in fact would equip the civic authority of the city with extraordinary powers and this will result in the restriction of democratic life, social freedoms and human rights”.

Noting that the 'security' state policies regarding the Kurdish question are not going to work, Zeytun said it would be important to create an environment favouring negotiation conditions.

Among some of the rights violation included in the report are:

Arbitrary killing, excessive use of force

In the towns of the region, 2 children lost their life because of mines and abandoned devices. A total of 4 people, including 2 children, were injured.

Three people, two children and one male, were suspected of being murdered by unknown persons.

Violations in clashes environment

Curfew was declared a total of 16 times in the first six months of 2018, affecting 4 town centers and 282 villages / neighborhoods.

Violations of women's right to life

6 women committed suicide, 1 woman attempted suicide.

18 women were murdered after domestic violence, and 10 women were wounded. 1 woman was subjected to sexual assault.

6 women were slaughtered in social life, 3 women were wounded. While 4 women were exposed to sexual assault, 2 women were kidnapped and detained.

Violations of children's right to life

3 children committed suicide, 3 children attempted to commit suicide.

3 children were murdered as a result of domestic violence, 7 children were injured, and 6 children were subjected to sexual exploitation.

Four children were injured as the result of violence they were subjected to in social life. While 52 children were exposed to sexual abuse, 3 children were kidnapped and detained.

Torture

At least one person was subjected to torture and ill-treatment in police custody.

Thirty-two persons were subjected to torture and ill-treatment outside of detention places (street-house raids).

128 prisoners were subjected to torture and ill-treatment in prison.

Eight people were subjected to harassment by security forces, while four were threatened.

Seven people were injured during intervention in social demonstrations.

Violation of the right to personal freedom and security

44 children were taken into custody of a total of 1,413 people.

251 people were remanded in custody, including 1 child.

997 homes were raided.

Violation of the right of expression and organization

3 issues of 11 newspapers were recalled.

1 publishing house and 1 newspaper representative office were raided.

Access to internet news sites was hindered 7 times.

43 people were investigated in 6 casefiles.

66 people were sued in 16 casefiles.

52 people including politicians and journalists were sentenced to prison in 34 casefiles.

15 political party buildings were attacked or raided.

Security forces intervened in 10 social demonstrations or open-air meetings.

16 demonstrations were forbidden in the first six months of 2018.

Violations in prison

112 prisoners were transferred without any justification.

134 prisoners were subjected to a violation of their right to health.

114 prisoners and their families were barred from visit.

At least 11 prisoners were subjected to isolation.

At least four prisoners were investigated.

7 prisoners were denied the right to communication.

1 prisoner was deprived of social activity rights.

Violations of economic and political rights

9 workers lost their lives, 10 workers were injured as a result of poor safety conditions in the workplace.

1328 workers were removed from work.

200 workers could not get their wages.