05-07.03.2011 Daily Human Rights Report
(03/021) The Case on the massacre in Zirve Publishing house…
On 4 March 2011 Malatya Heavy Penal Court No. 3 held the 32nd hearing in the case on the killing of Tilman Ekkehart Geske, Necati Aydın and Uğur Yüksel on 18 April 2007 in Zirve publishing house in Malatya Province because of proselytising.
The court adjourned the hearing to 28 April 2011 because the witnesses that were planned to be heard did not attend the hearing (Cumhuriyet, 4 March).
(03/022) Impunity in the case of extra-judicial killing in Van Province…
Canan Saldık (16), had been killed with a bullet fired from Hacıbekir Army Headquarters as she was in picnic in Kurubaş Village of Van Province on 21 July 2010. Van Martial Court acquitted a colonel, a mayor, a senior sergeant and two soldiers on charges of “causing homicide” and “misconduct in office” on 25 February 2011 reported on 6 March 2011 (ANF, 6 March).
(03/023) Reparation decision on extra-judicial killing incident in Hatay Province…
Soldiers had fired into the four peasants who were collecting thyme on the grounds that they thought that the peasants were militants of Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKKKurdish Workers' Party ) armed wing People’s Defence Forces (HPGPeople's Defence Forces (armed wing of the PKK) ) in Çardak Plateau Hassa District of Hatay Province on 28 June 2010. Peasants Mustafa Fil (66) and Ali Dalmış (63) were killed and Mehmet Sak (75) was wounded in the incident. Hatay Governorate’s Commission for the Determination of the Damage due to Terror or Fighting with Terror decided to pay 21 650 TL each to the families of the murdered peasants and 2.500 TL to Mehmet Sak reported on 7 March 2011 (Radikal, 7 March).
(03/025) Arrested journalists…
Nine people had been detained in home raids including Milliyet Newspaper’s reporter Nedim Şener and journalist Ahmet Şık in Ankara and Istanbul Provinces on 3 March 2011. Nedim Şener, Ahmet Şık, Müesser Yıldız, Doğan Yurdakul, Suat Çakır, Yalçın Küçük and Coşkun Musluk were arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation -Ergenekon” under Article 314 of TPCTurkish Penal Code on 6 March 2011.
Nedim Şener and Ahmet Şık have several publications including books to make clear the Ergenekon Case and the murder of Hrant Dink (Milliyet, 5 March).
(03/026) Convicted sociology…
İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 11sentenced İsmail Beşikçi to 15 months of imprisonment in connection with his article published in Çağımızda Hukuk ve Toplum Journal, the publication of Contemporary Lawyers Association’s (ÇHD) İstanbul Branch, on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 4 March 2011. Zeycan Balcı Şimşek, the editor-in-chief of the journal, was sentenced to a fine of 16,660 TL in the case (ntvmsnbc.com, 4 March).
(03/027) Tried editor-in-chief…
A case was launched against Barış Yarkadaş, the editor-in-chief of gerçekgundem.com, a website on news, with the official complaint of the presidency and the authorisation of the Ministry of Justice in connection with the comment of a reader in 2008 on 6 March 2011. The prosecutor asked for an imprisonment up to 5 years on charges of “insulting the president” under Article 299 of the TPC and the first hearing will be held on 21 June 2011 (ANF, 6 March).
(03/028) Finalised KCKUnion of Communities in Kurdistan case in Iğdır Province...
Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 2 finalised the case against 30 defendants who had been tried since the operation in Iğdır Province on 21 January 2010 on charges of “being a member of Koma Ciwaken Kurdistan-Kurdistan Communities League /Assembly of Turkey (KCK/TMKCK Par lament Turkey ), the KCK is the intend to organize the Kurdish people as an umbrella organization that includes Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)” on 4 March 2011.
Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 2 sentenced Alaaddin Ham, Turan Kaya, Şebap Çelik and Mehmet Haşimoğlu to 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment each on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC; Mehmet Nuri Güneş, Saim Erkmen and İsmail Tikit to 8 years and 9 months of imprisonment each on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” and “threatening person’s freedom”; Necip Beştaş to 45 years of imprisonment; Nusret Aras to 10 years of imprisonment; Aziz Çan to 13 years and 6 months of imprisonment; Abdulbari Tenik to 12 years and 6 months of imprisonment; Resul Yıldız to 9 years of imprisonment; Tuncer Kanyar to 7 years of imprisonment and Halit Er to 18 months of imprisonment who had benefitted from the Law of Regret. Othet defendants were acquitted in the hearing (ntvmsnbc.com; ANF, 4 March).
(03/029) Intervention to the protest in Istanbul Province…
Police teams interfered the members of the People’s Front who were protesting the Housing Congress in Istanbul Province on 5 March 2011 and detained 15 people on the grounds that they hindered the traffic (Zaman, 5 March).
(03/030) Fighting with Terrorism Law in practise…
A person who had been detained on the grounds that he sang a song in the activity of Peace and Democracy Party (BDPPeace and Democracy Party ) in Kars Province on 2 January 2011 was detained on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 4 March 2011 (Zaman, 4 March).
(03/031) Detentions and arrests…
Emine Ökmen (67), who had been convicted to 16 months of imprisonment in connection with participating in the public statement to protest the Justice and Development Party (AKPJustice and Development Party ) in Adana Province in 2003 on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”, was detained in Habur Border Gate as she was returning to Turkey and then arrested on 4 March 2011 (ANF, 4 March).
