HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

• Hatem Özdemir appeals death sentence to higher Iranian court  

  HPG guerrilla Hatem Özdemir, who was sentenced by an Iranian court to death after being captured in 2019 in the Maku district of Eastern Kurdistan, appealed to a higher court and objected to the decision.
• On day 114 of hunger strike, Ecevit Piroğlu's life is in danger 

  Ecevit Piroğlu, who was arrested in Serbia under pressure from Turkey and was not released despite high court decisions, is on the 114th day of his hunger strike.
• Report on human rights violations in Rojhilat in May 

  Human rights violations against Kurdish civilians and activists in the Kurdish region of Iran continued in May 2024.
• DEM Party: Y-type, S-type and high security prisons should be closed 

  DEM Party Law and Human Rights Commission stated that “Y-type, S-type and high security prisons are wells and should be closed.”
• ‘Prisons have turned into a well: 78 thousand people have been imprisoned in the last 8 months’ 

  Şebnem Korur Fincancı, President of the Turkish Medical Association, described the new type of prisons as ‘well-type’ and announced that more than 78 thousand people have been imprisoned in the last 8 months.
• Hunger striker activist Ecevit Piroğlu's health condition has worsened 

  The Prisoners' Voice Platform said: "The life of internationalist revolutionary Ecevit Piroğlu, who is on hunger strike in a Serbian prison, is in serious danger."
• Lawyer Erdoğan: Ill prisoners are deliberately left in jail to die 

  The co-spokesperson of the IHD Prison Commission, Yusuf Erdoğan, condemned the way the Turkish state treats ill prisoners. He said that ill prisoners are deliberately left in prison to die.
• Amnesty International: Executions soar to the highest number in almost a decade 

  Amnesty International said in its latest report that "executions soar to the highest number in almost a decade."
• Birtane: Isolation is a problem for the entire society 

  TUHAD-FED Amed co-chair Eylem Birtane said that absolute lack of communication has spread to all society and added: "Isolation is not only a problem of the prisoners. It is a problem for the entire society."
• Kartal: If we stand up, we will break the isolation 

  Afife Kartal, mother of a political prisoner in Turkey, called for a protest and said: "Without standing up, we can't achieve anything. If we stand up, we can break the isolation."
• Condition of 84-year-old seriously ill prisoner Güler worsening 

  The Freedom for Ill Prisoners Initiative said that 84-year-old seriously ill prisoner Sıddık Güler's condition is serious and that "he should be released urgently."
• ÖHD calls for urgent release of ill prisoner Kuday  

  ÖHD said that ill prisoner Abdulkadir Kuday weighed 41 kilos and added that he "should be released urgently."
• Maside Ocak: We will fight to get justice for the disappeared people 

  The Istanbul Saturday Mothers' sit-in has been taking place in Galatasaray Square for 1,000 weeks. Maside Ocak, sister of one of the disappeared, Hasan Ocak, said: “We will continue the fight until our relatives have graves and justice is served.”
• Saturday Mothers issue a call for the 1000th week of their action 

  The Saturday Mothers' struggle for justice for their relatives will enter its 1000th week on Saturday 25 May. The mothers called for carnations to be left at Galatasaray Square.
• 39 MPs from New Zealand support Satuday Mothers 

  39 members of parliament from New Zealand urged the Turkish authorities to allow the 1000th gathering of the Saturday Mothers, without posing any obstacles.
• Ankara massacre to be taken to the European Court of Human Rights 

  Following the dismissal of the lawsuit against Turkish authorities in connection with the Ankara massacre on 10 October 2015, lawyer Ilke Işık announced that she will now take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
• Another death in prison  

  Ergin Akdoğan, who was in Tekirdağ No. 1 F Type Closed Prison, has died. He was in prison for 27 years.
• Application for release of Veysi Aktaş from Imralı rejected 

  The objection against the one-year postponement of the release of Veysi Aktaş from Imralı Prison was rejected.
• Ill prisoner Makbule Özertaken to Istanbul to get a new Forensic Medicine Institute report 

  Ill prisoner Makbule Özer was taken to Istanbul to get a Forensic Medicine Institute report.
• Emine Şenyaşar protests new case filed against her for allegedly ‘insulting a public official’ 

  Emine Şenyaşar protested the case filed against her for allegedly ‘insulting a public official’ with the words: "While those who committed crimes are walking freely outside, they bring me to trial."
• ISIG says 2,500 young workers have lost their lives in last 11 years 

  According to the report prepared by the Occupational Health and Safety Observatory on work accidents, at least 2,500 young workers have lost their lives in the last 11 years.
• Release of ill prisoner postponed for 4th time 

  The release of Naif Işçi, who was arrested at the age of 14 in Cizre, was postponed for the 4th time because he rejected showing "remorse". His mother Nebahat said: "What did my son do that he should show remorse?"
• Release of Ramazan Karataş postponed for 6 months 

  The release of Ramazan Karataş, who had been imprisoned for 30 years, was postponed for 6 months for the second time for arbitrary reasons by the Administration and Observation Board.
• Lawyers protest the verdict in Kobanê Trial: We will fight against the darkness 

  Legal organisations protested the verdicts in the Kobanê Trial and said, "We do not recognise these sentences and we will fight against the darkness."
• CDK-F calls for participation at demo against French repression 

  The CDK-F called on people to attend the demonstration to be held on Saturday in Paris to protest the policy of criminalization against Kurdish activists.