23-26.04.2010 Daily Human Rights Report
(04/113) Armed attack in Mardin...
On 22 April 2010 a police vehicle was taken under cross fire, when it entered the garden of Cumhuriyet Police Centre in Mardin, Kızıltepe district, Ömer Akcan (34) was heavily wounded and died in Kızıltepe State Hospital. In the incident one police officer and two bypassers were wounded (Milliyet, 22 April).
(04/114) Extra-judicial execution in Mardin...
Following the attack on a police vehicle in Mardin, Kızıltepe district on 22 April 2010 that resulted in the death of a police officer the police conducted an operation. They found a hut with two people in it. Stating that those responsible for the attack had been found the police stormed the hut and shot two people dead. Eye witnesses stated that the killed persons could not be recognized. The governor of Kızıltepe did not give information on the identity of the victims (ANF, 23 April; ETHA, 24 April).
(04/115) Extra-judicial execution in Şanlıurfa...
On 22 April 2010 soldiers shot at İbrahim Bitkin (27) and Taha Özdemir (22) near Kepezli village, Şanlıurfa, Akçakale district who allegedly were smuggling from Syria to Turkey and did not obey stop warnings. Taha Özdemir was killed (Hürriyet, 22 April).
(04/116) Explosion in Mardin...
On 21 April 2010 İzzettin Boz (14) died when a device he found in the Kırmızıtaş region near Kablara town, Mardin exploded in his hand (tsk.tr, 22 April).
(04/117) Police Officers on trial for death in custody...
On 5 March 2009 police officers asked the members of the Socialist Party Ufuk Özgün Erhan, İbrahim Doruk Balkan and Ufuk Göllü for their IDs in Beyoğlu district, Istanbul. After a discussion the police officers C.S., O.T., R.K. and H.K. beat the three persons and handcuffed them.
Both Ufuk Özgün Erhan, İbrahim Doruk Balkan and Ufuk Göllü and the police officers filed official complaints. On 23 April 2010 information was received that Beyoğlu Prosecutor's Office had prepared an indictment at the end of the investigation.
In the indictment it was stated that the police officers prepared a note to the effect that they were beaten by the three "activists", but it was impossible to take the note into account, because Ufuk Göllü had a broken nose and swollen parts of the body, the left wrist of Ufuk Özgün Erhan was fractured so that the claim of the police officers that the injuries would heal with simple medical measures could not be followed.
The indictment concluded that the border for the use of force had been crossed and an action of injuring amounting to torture had been committed. The victims had been handcuffed and pepper gas had been used for intentionally injuring them. The action had continued in the car. The prosecutor asked for a sentence of up to 12 years' imprisonment for the torture of İbrahim Doruk Balkan and for the more intense torture of Ufuk Göllü and Ufuk Erhan Özgün sentences of up to 36 years' imprisonment should be passed.
The trial will commence at Beyoğlu Heavy Penal Court 3 on 24 June 2010 (Radikal, 23 April).
(04/118) Violence at a Lyceum...
On 20 April 2010 the religion, culture and ethics teacher A.Z. beat the student O.B. at a lyceum in Tekirdağ, Malkara district. When information emerged that there had been earlier complaints against this teacher the governor of Malkara suspended A.Z. from duty (Zaman, 22 April).
(04/119) Persons Convicted...
On 7 December 2004 members of the Socialist Platform of the Oppressed held a demonstration in Ankara demanding that the draft law on the execution of sentences should be withdrawn from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNATGrand National Assembly of Turkey ). The police intervened and 47 people had been put on trial.
In the final hearing on 22 April 201 Ankara Heavy Penal Court 11 sentenced 27 people to seven years and six months' imprisonment for being members of and having conducted propaganda for an illegal organization. 16 people were sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment for having made propaganda for an illegal organization. The court suspended the sentences of Onur Sertel and Mesut Açıkalın. The sentences for the defendants Tuna Altan, Barın Kaya, İrfan Gerçek and Bahar Cemali, whose lawyers were not present at the hearing, will be announced later (atilim.org, 23 April).
(04/120) Person Convicted...
On 22 April 2010 Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court 6 sentenced Mustafa Ekrem Polatsoy, member of parliament in Şanlıurfa, Suruç district for the Peace and Democracy Party (BDPPeace and Democracy Party ) to one years' imprisonment according to Article 7/2 of the Anti Terror Law for having made propaganda for an illegal organization when on 22 July 2007 he had asked for a minute's silence during the activities for the general elections (ANF, 22 April).
(04/121) Person Convicted...
On 22 April 2010 the case against Ahmet Atış on trial for having given his daughter in Şanlıurfa the name of “Helin Kürdistan” and for having participated in the demonstration on behalf of Abdullah Öcalan's birthday on 4 April 2009 continued.
Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court 5 ruled that Ahmet Atış should be acquitted in relation to his daughter's name, because he had not willingly violated Article 7/2 of the Anti Terror Law.
As to the demonstration the court ruled that Ahmet Atış had conducted an action in the name of an illegal organization without being a member of it, had made propaganda for an illegal organization and had violated Law 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations and, therefore, had to be sentenced to eight years and four months' imprisonment (ntvmsnbc.com, 22 April).
(04/122) Forbidden theatre play...
On 25 April 2010 it was learned that the governors of Cizre and İdil district in Şırnak province banned the play Laz Marks for being political (ANF, 25 April).
