08.02.2012 Daily Human Rights Report
(02/043) Allegations of mass graveyard in Diyarbakır Province…
Human bones and skulls that were allegedly belong to six people had been found during the excavations for the restoration of Central Closed Prison which was allegedly used by the Gendarmerie Intelligence and Fighting with Terrorism Department (JITEM) in 1990s in Suriçi Quarter of Diyarbakır Province on 11 January 2012. On 7 February 2012 remnants allegedly belong to three people were found during the excavations and the number of corpses became 29 (Radikal, 7 February).
(02/044) Coercion in prison…
Ten prisoners in Amasya E Type Closed Prison were beaten by the guardians on grounds that they sang in Kurdish reported on 7 February 2012 (Özgür Gündem, 7 February).
(02/045) Coercion in prison…
According to the letter sent to the Human Rights Association’s General Centre from Bingöl M Type Closed Prison on 2 February 2012, prisoner Mahmut Karataş (60) could not walk and see. He completely lost his memory and his care has been done by the inmates of the same dormitory (TİHV, 7 February).
(02/046) Coercion in prison…
Lawyers Mazlum Dinç, Azize Deniz Taşdemir and Hüseyin Boğatekin were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 7 February 2012 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order (ANF, 7 February).
(02/047) Acquitted journalists…
Bakırköy Penal Court First Instance No. 2 acquitted Milliyet Newspaper’s journalist Nedim Şener and editor-in-chief Hasan Çakkalkurt in connection with the news published on 29 December 2009 on charges of “violating the confidentiality of the investigation” under Article 285 of TPCTurkish Penal Code on grounds that the elements of the offence did not occur on 7 February 2012 (Radikal, 7 February).
(02/048) Tried journalists…
Bakırköy Penal Court First Instance No. 2 went on hearing the case against Milliyet Newspaper’s journalist Nedim Şener and editor-in-chief Hasan Çakkalkurt in connection with the news published on 23 October 2010 on charges of “violating the confidentiality of the investigation” under Article 285 of TPC on 7 February 2012.
Bakırköy Penal Court First Instance No. 2 adjudicated to ask to the Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecution Office for the copy of the witness account that was the subject of the news and also whether there is confidentiality verdict on the investigation or not (DHA, 7 February).
(02/049) Tried Milletvekili…
On 7 February 2012 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 4 went on hearing the case against Van Deputy Aysel Tuğluk in connection with her 12 speeches in Diyarbakır Province between 2005 and 2009 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law.
Lawyer Fethi Gümüş asked for additional time for the preparation of the legal argument on the essence of the case. The court accepted the demand (ANF, 7 February).
(02/050) Convicted persons…
Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 4 sentenced Selim Sadak to 20 months and Faruk Sağlam, Nizam Korkmaz and Yılmaz Çınar to ten months of imprisonment in connection with their speeches during the Newroz Celebrations in Ziyaret Municipality of Baykan District of Siirt Province in 2011 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 7 February 2012 (Zaman, 7 February).
(02/051) Tried Journalists…
On 6 February 2012 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 7 went on hearing the case against 8 defendants –three of them pre-trial detainees, Dicle News Agency’s (DİHA) Diyarbakır Representative Kadri Kaya, Batman reporter Erdoğan Altan and İhsan Dilyak- who had been detained in Batman Province on 15 April 2011 and arrested on 19 April 2011 on charges of “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 court declined the demand of the defendants to make their legal argument in Kurdish and adjourned the hearing to 28 March 2012 (Özgür Gündem, 7 February).
(02/052) KCKUnion of Communities in Kurdistan Operation in İstanbul Province…
5 people were detained in the Koma Ciwaken Kurdistan-Kurdistan Communities League /Assembly of Turkey (KCK/TMKCK Par lament Turkey ), the KCK is allegedly intended to organize the Kurdish people as an umbrella organization that includes Kurdistan Workers Party (PKKKurdish Workers' Party ) operation in İstanbul Province on 7 February 2012 (Zaman, 7 February).
(02/053) Fighting with Terrorism Law in practise…
Azadiya Welat Newspaper’s workers Mahmut Tutal and Abdulbesir Yapıcı and KURDÎ-DER executive İbrahim Halil Donan were detained in the operation of Security Directorate’s Fighting with Terrorism Department on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” in Şanlıurfa Province on 7 February 2012 (Zaman; ANF, 7 February).
(02/054) Ongoing KCK Operations…
Forty-one people –including Dicle News Agency’s (DİHA) Batman reporter Gülsen Aslan, and executives of NGOs- had been detained in the raids of the Fighting with Terrorism Department teams on the houses and institutions in Batman Province on 4 February 2012.
19 out of the 23 detainees who had been transferred to the courthouse were arrested in the morning of 7 February 2012.
12 out of the 18 detainees who had been transferred to the courthouse were arrested in the afternoon of 7 February 2012 (ANF; Evrensel, 7 February).
(02/055) Home raids in Hakkâri Province…
Seventeen people –three juveniles- were detained in the operation of police teams in several quarters of Hakkâri Province on 7 February 2012 (ANF, 7 February).
