HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• Asrin Law Office calls for an end to the injustice and lawlessness on Imrali 

  Exactly three years ago, Abdullah Öcalan's legal team was able to visit his client for the last time on the Turkish prison island of Imrali. For 17 months there has been no sign of life from Öcalan and his three fellow prisoners.
• Family of HPG member Mercan Erkol is fighting for 5 years to get daughter's remains 

  The family of HPG member Mercan Erkol, who lost her life in clashes that broke out on 16 November 2017 in Şenyayla, in the province of Kulp, has been waiting to collect the body of their daughter for 5 years.
• Mothers of political prisoners protest in Istanbul despite police attempts to prevent demo 

  In Istanbul, mothers and relatives of political prisoners protested conditions in Turkish prisons despite the large police presence.
• Justice Vigil of Şenyaşar family continues 

  Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit have been holding a ‘Justice Vigil’ for 516 days demanding justice for three family members killed by AKP people in 2018.
• HDP-HDK: Torture at the borders must be stopped 

  Pointing to footage of brutal torture of Syrian men in the Turkish-Iranian border area, HDK and HDP said, "Turkey's borders have become the scene of persecution and death of refugees."
• Political prisoners in Van go on hunger strike against violations of rights 

  Political prisoners began an alternating hunger strike against the increasing torture practices in Van High Security Prison.
• Prisoner with cancer sent to solitary confinement  

  Prisoner Fatma Özbay suffers from cancer. Her request for treatment for a wound on her foot was rejected and instead she was sentenced to solitary confinement on the pretext that she had hidden a needle in the ward.
• Syrian refugees tortured at Iran-Turkey border 

  A group of Syrian refugees who sought to cross into Turkey was tortured by human smugglers at the Iran-Turkey border.
• Guards torture prisoner with epilepsy in Elazig No. 2 High Security Closed Prison 

  Fevzi Fidan, who was kept in a single cell in Elazig No. 2 High Security Closed Prison, despite suffering from epilepsy, was tortured by the guards.
• Prisoner in Van High Security Closed Prison has a stroke, family not informed 

  Seyfettin Demhat, an ill prisoner in Van High Security Closed Prison, suffered from a heart attack and his family was not informed.
• ÖHD and TUHAY-DER say rights are violated in Diyarbakır Women's Closed Prison 

  ÖHD and TUHAY-DER said that due to the attitude of the prison administration in Diyarbakır Women's Closed Prison, prisoners' right to health is prevented, and rights violations occurred every day, putting the life of prisoners at risk.
• 978 prisoners have died in twenty years of AKP government 

  Almost 1,000 prisoners have died in twenty years of the AKP government in Turkey. Fatin Kanat from the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Ankara speaks of a "balance sheet of shame".
• Erkan Yıldırım: My brother Gökhan is on death fast demanding a fair trial 

  Erkan Yıldırım visited his brother Gökhan who is on death fast demanding a fair trial and said that he feared his brother didn't have much time left.
• HDP MP Şevin Coşkun brings deaths and violations of rights in prisons to Parliament's Agenda 

  HDP Muş MP Şevin Coşkun brought the deaths and violations of rights in prisons to the Parliament's Agenda.
• MEBYA-DER protest attacks on guerrilla funerals 

  MEBYA-DER protested the attacks on guerrilla funerals.
• Iran hangs 32 people in one week 

  Amnesty International lambasted the country for having engaged in a “horrific execution spree,” with 251 people put to death in the first six months of 2022 alone.
• Demonstrations in Germany to mark 8th anniversary of Yazidi genocide  

  3 August marks the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the Islamic State genocide and femicide against the Yazidi population of Shengal. On this occasion, women's organizations are calling for actions in many European cities.
• 1000 women for Aysel Tuğluk Platform call to join action on social media today and tomorrow 

  The 1000 women for Aysel Tuğluk Platform will carry out an action on social media today and tomorrow with the hashtag "#AyselTuğlukaişkenceyeson".
• 7 workers killed in their workplace in the last month in Urfa 

  Urfa Medical Chamber said that 7 workers lost their lives in the last month in the city.
• 33-Bullet Massacre: No confrontation, no shame 

  79 years have passed since the 33-Bullet Massacre (Muğlalı incident), but the state still considers Army Commander General Mustafa Muğlalı as a hero. Lawyer Jiyan Özkaplan said that there is no confrontation and shame on the part of the state authorities.
• Constitutional Court upholds mother tongue ban 

  The Constitutional Court justified a disciplinary punishment given to teachers who supported the call of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) for one-hour mother tongue education at public schools.
• Journalists stay in prison as Kurdistan Federal Region stops their release 

  The conditional release of many prisoners in the Kurdistan Federal Region was stopped by the local government.
• ‘Justice will not come to Turkey unless justice is served in Roboski’ 

  The Justice for Roboski Initiative said that “Justice will not come to Turkey unless justice is served in the Roboski massacre case.”
• Deaths in Turkish prisons are covered up 

  Lawyer Çiğdem Kozan draws attention to the increasing violations of rights in Turkish prisons, saying that the release of political prisoners from prison is not decided by a court, but by the prison staff.
• 80-year-old Kazım Kalbişen had his release delayed and died in prison 

  80-year-old Kazım Kalbişen was not given his medication and had his release delayed despite having a 100 percent disability report. He died in prison.