03.02.2012 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/018) Investigation on forced disappearance in detention…
Bursa Law Court of First Instance No. 2 began to hear the case against the Ministry of Interior Affairs in connection with the forced disappearances of two brothers Ayhan Efeoğlu (İstanbul Province on 6 October 1992) and Ali Efeoğlu (İstanbul Province on 5 January 1994) with the demand of reparation as material 20,000 lira and as moral 800,000 lira on 2 February 2012.
The court declined the objections of the ministry concerning the authority of the court and adjudicated to collect evidences to evaluate the limitation of time and adjourned the hearing to 28 March 2012.
The Ministry of Interior Affairs stated that the forced disappearances of the two brothers were the results of “the acts and proceedings of the administration” and their graves are in İstanbul Province (ANF; HRFTHuman Rights Foundation of Turkey , 2 February).
(02/019) Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Mazlum Dinç, Mahmut Taşçı and Sinan Zincir were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 2 February 2012 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order (ANF, 2 February).
(02/020) Tried deputy…
On 4 December 2008 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 had sentenced Diyarbakır Deputy Leyla Zana to 8 years of imprisonment in connection with her speeches on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314/2 of TPCTurkish Penal Code . The court then raised the sentence to 12 years because it was a terror crime and dropped it to 10 years due to her good conduct in the hearings.
The Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chamber No. 9 annulled the verdict of the local court on the grounds that “lack of defence”.
Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 9 went on hearing the case against Leyla Zana on 2 February 2012. The court gave time for “the last time” to Leyla Zana to participate in the meeting and adjourned the hearing (Zaman, 2 February).
(02/021) Convicted student…
Trabzon Penal Court of First Instance No. 2 went on hearing the case against Gizem Görnaz who criticized the administration of the Black sea Technical University (Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi) and its Rector İbrahim Özen in Evrensel Newspaper’s supplement Genç Hayat (Youth Life) on charges of “insulting via media” on 1 February 2012. The court sentenced the student to 11 months and 20 days of imprisonment (Radikal, 2 February).
(02/022) Ongoing KCKUnion of Communities in Kurdistan Case in Konya Province…
Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 5 went on hearing the case against four students who had been detained in the home raids against the members of the Democratic Patriotic Youth (DYG) with 16 others in Konya Province on 13 April 2011.
The court heard the legal argument of the prosecutor on the essence of the case on 1 February 2012. The prosecutor asked for the imprisonment of the three defendants and acquittal of the other one. The hearing was adjourned for the preparation of the legal argument of the defendant on the essence of the case (Hürriyet, 3 February).
(02/023) Tried students…
İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 16 accepted the indictment prepared by İstanbul Chief Public Prosecution Office against 30 students -19 pre-trial detainees- who had been detained in the home raids against the members of the Democratic Patriotic Youth (DYG) in İstanbul Province on 17 May 2011 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC, “committing offence on behalf of an organisation although he is not a member” under Article 220/6 of TPC and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law. The first hearing will be held on 7 February 2012 (DİHA, 2 February).
(02/024) Arrested juvenile…
H.K. (16) was arrested Mersin Penal Court of Peace No. 5 on grounds that he had participated in the demonstration in Mersin Province on 9 October 2011 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” and “committing offences on behalf of illegal organisations” although he proved the he was a pre-trial detainee in Pozantı (Adana) Prison for Juveniles at the time of the incident reported on 2 February 2012 (ANF, 2 February).
(02/025) Home raids in Ağrı Province…
Five members of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDPPeace and Democracy Party ) –including the porivnce branch chairperson- who had been detained in home raids Diyadin District of Ağrı Province on 1 February 2012 were arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” on 2 February 2012 (Zaman, 2 February).
(02/026) Detentions and arrests…
İdris Karabağ who had been detained in a check point in Karlıova District of Bingöl Province on 31 January 2012 was arrested on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” on 2 February 2012 (ANF, 2 February).
