HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• Solidarity action with Saturday Mothers takes place in Cologne  

  Activists in Cologne showed their solidarity with the Saturday Mothers in Istanbul. The trial against 46 participants in the 700th Saturday Mothers' protest begins today in Istanbul.
• "Corpses are tortured to increase the suffering of families" 

  MEBYA-DER co-chair Şeyhmuz Karadağ remarked over the Turkish state's attacks on corpses and graveyards, saying, "The corpses are tortured to increase the suffering of the families."
• Şenyaşar family enters 15th day of protest for justice 

  The sit-in protest started by the Şenyaşar family in front of the Urfa Courthouse continues on its 15th day.
• Lawyers of Abdullah Öcalan apply to visit Imrali 

  Lawyers of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan have once again applied to visit their client in Imrali.
• Senyaşar family's sit-in in front of courthouse in Urfa reaches day 14 

  The Senyaşar family's sit-in in front of the courthouse in Urfa is on the 14th day.
• Hunger strikes in prison reach day 116 

  The hunger strike launched in prisons against the Imrali isolation continues on its 116th day. The solidarity hunger strike launched in Maxmur continues on its 95th day and in Greece on its 78st.
• HDP deputy Gergerlioğlu says police used force against him 

  HDP Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said after his release that the police used force against him when he was arrested.
• People detained in Amed suffer torture 

  One-year-old child detained and a disabled youth tortured in Amed. A total of 63 people were taken into custody, 24 are still held at the police station.
• 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.