26-28.12.2009 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/137) Torture and ill-treatment in detention…
Conscientious objector Enver Aydemir, who had been detained as he was going to the “Congress of Conscientious Objectors for Peace” which was held in Boğaziçi University (in İstanbul Province) on 24 December 2009 and arrested the same day. Lawyer Davut Erhan stated that Enver Aydemir was beaten with a baton on the grounds that he declined to wear the uniform and he was waited with his underwear until next morning in Maltepe Army Prison. According to Davut Erhan there were bruises on Aydemir’s face due to hits and he started hunger strike to protest the torture in prison (atilim.org, 27 December).
(12/138) Operations against the Peace and Democracy Party (BDPPeace and Democracy Party )…
In the morning of 24 December 2009, Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecution Office had launched an operation in 11 provinces and police teams raided on Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) and Human Rights Association’s (İHD) Diyarbakır Province Branches and had detained 36 people. The detainees were transferred to Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecution Office on 25 December 2009. After their interrogation Yüksel Baran, Songül Erol Abdil, Bedriye Aydın, Servet Özen, Emine Esmer, Sakine Kayran, Cihan Ekin and Sabiha Önen were released.
Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecution Office demanded the arrestment of other 28 people and İHD’s Vice General Chairperson and Chairperson of Diyarbakır Province Branch, Lawyer Muharrem Erbey, Democracy Party’s (DEP) former Deputy Hatip Dicle, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Vice Mayor Ali Şimşek, Sur Mayor Abdullah Demirbaş, Batman Mayor Necdet Atalay, Batman former Mayor Hüseyin Kalkan, Cizre Mayor Aydın Budak, Kayapınar Mayor Zülküf Karatekin, Kızıltepe Mayor Ferhan Türk, Suruç Mayor Ethem Şahin, Viranşehir Mayor Leyla Güven, Viranşehir former Mayor Emrullah Cin, Dicle former Mayor Abdullah Akengin, Ergani former Mayor Nadir Bingöl, Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) Diyarbakır Province Chairperson Fırat Anlı, Diyarbakır Water and Canalisation Department’s (DİSKİ) General Director Yaşar Sarı, Abbas Çelik, Cebrail Kurt, Kazım Kurt, Fethi Süvari, Ahmet Makas, Pakize Turgay ve Ramazan Debe were arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation”. The court adjudicated to release Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak, Çınar Mayor Ahmet Cengiz, Silvan former Mayor Fikret Kaya, Yaşar Çelik and Adil Erkek.
Ministry of the Interior Affairs launched an investigation in connection with the images that were distributed to the media that shows the 28 detainees waiting in front of the court in a line with plastic cuffs (ANF, 25 December; Gündem; Zaman; Radikal, 26 December; Sabah, 27 December).
Twelve out of the 14 detainees in Van Province and Twelve out of the 28 detainees in Batman Province were arrested in the morning of 28 December 2009 (ntvmsnbc.com; ANF, 28 December).
(12/139) Lynch Attempt in Edirne Province…
Approximately 750 people in the vicinity attempted to be lynch eight members of the Edirne Youth Organisation who were collecting signature in the Edirne city centre on 27 December 2009 for the releasement of their friends who had been detained on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” on 16 December 2009. Police teams transported the eight people with police vehicles from the scene of incident in which six people were wounded and detained them (Radikal; halkinsesi.tv, 27 December).
(12/140) Attack on Kurdish Students in Ankara Province…
In the night of 25 December 2009 three Kurdish students who have been living in Cebeci Student Dormitory were attacked by right-wingers and they were hospitalised to İbn-i Sina Hospital in Ankara Province (indymedia.org, 26 December).
(12/141) Attack on Kurdish Students in Afyon Province…
Right-wingers attacked on three students of Sultandağı Vocational College of Kocatepe University -M.A., M.A.A. and S.Y.- in Sultandağı District of Afyon Province on 25 December 2009. Students documented the incident with health reports and made official complaints (Gündem, 26 December).
(12/142) The Case on Dağlıca Attack…
On 25 December 2009 Van Gendarmerie Security Corps Headquarters Military Court went on hearing the case against the eight soldiers who were abducted by Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKKKurdish Workers' Party ) armed wing People’s Defence Forces (HPGPeople's Defence Forces (armed wing of the PKK) ) in Dağlıca attack in which 12 soldiers were killed in Yüksekova District of Hakkâri Province on 21 October 2007. The court sentenced Ramazan Yüce to 30 months of imprisonment on charges of “overtly inciting soldiers to disobedience”, Halis Çağan to 20 months of imprisonment on charges of “negligence in office”, and Özhan Şabanoğlu, Fuat Başoda, İlhami Demir, İrfan Beyaz, Fatih Atakul and Mehmet Şenkul to 15 months of imprisonment each on charges of “negligence in office”. The sentences which were verdict on charges of “negligence in office” were postponed (cnnturk.com, 26 December).
(12/143) The case of the murder of Hrant Dink…
Trabzon Penal Court of Peace No.2 went on hearing the case against the Major Ali Öz, Captain Metin Yıldız, Non-Commissioned Officers Gazi Günay, Hüseyin Yılmaz, and Specialised Sergeant Hacı Ömer Ünalır, Önder Araz, Okan Şimşek and Veysel Şahin adjudicated to unify the case Okan Şimşek and Veysel Şahin in connection with the murder of Hrant Dink on charges of “negligence in office” under Article 257/2 of TPCTurkish Penal Code in connection with The murder Hrant Dink on 19 January 2007 by Ogün Samast in İstanbul Province on 25 December 2009. The court got the testimonies of two intelligence officers in closed hearing and postponed the hearing to 12 February 2010 to get four other testimonies (Zaman, 25 December; Sabah, 26 December).
(12/144) Trial on the massacre in Zirve Publishing house…
On 25 December 2009 Malatya Heavy Penal Court No. 3 held the 23rd 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. Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 13 stated in its reply to the demand of the court that there is not any evidence that the defendants in Ergenekon Case had solicited the perpetrators. The court postponed the hearing to evaluate the reply of Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 13 to 19 February 2010 (Milliyet, 25 December).
(12/145) Tried persons…
Beyoglu Penal Court of First Instance No. 4 went on hearing the case against Singer Ferhat Tunç and his friend Ismail Özen in connection with the quarrel with police officers who asked them their identity cards in Beyoglu District of Istanbul Province on 24 December 2008 on charges of “insulting, threatening and resisting officers” on 24 December 2009. The court adjudicated to demand the camera records from Beyoglu Security Directorate again and postponed the hearing to 10 June 2010 (TİHV, 25 December).
(12/146) Impunity in the case of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers …
Kadıköy Penal Court of First Instance No. 5 sentenced the two police officers to 23 months and 15 days of imprisonment each in connection with beating Lawyer Muammer Öz in the park and then in the police vehicle with his hands had been cuffed in front of his family on the grounds that he “did not show his identity card” in Moda Quarter of Kadıköy District of İstanbul Province on 29 July 2007 on charges of “intentionally wounding” and “insulting” under Articles 86, 87 and 125 of TPC on 25 December 2009. The sentences were postponed on the grounds that they are under 24 months. Muammer Öz’s lawyer Ömer Kavili stated that they will appeal against the verdict on the grounds that the case should be heared in heavy penal court instead of penal court of first instance on the grounds that it is a torture case (Radikal, 26 December; TİHV, 28 December). (12/147) Coercion in prison…
It is reported on 25 December 2009, Metin Atmış, a prisoner in Erzurum H Type Closed Prison, claimed in his letter that he was beaten by another prisoner who was talking with gendarmerie soldiers before the incident (ANF, 25 December).
(12/148) Detentions and arrests…
Eighteen people who had been detained in home raids on 21 December 2009 after the protest against the closure of DTP in Mardin Province on 11 December 2009 were arrested on 25 December 2009 (Cumhuriyet, 25 December).
Seven out of the ten people who had been detained in home raids after the incident in which two people were killed and 10 people were wounded in Bulanık District of Muş Province on 15 December 2009 were arrested on 25 December 2009 (Gündem, 25 December).
Seventeen out of the 19 people who had been detained in the operations in connection with the incidents in the protest against the closure of DTP in Cizre District of Şırnak Province were arrested on 27 December 2009 (ANF, 27 December).
