27-29.12.2008 Daily Human Rights Report
(12/113) Murder by unknown assailants in Van Province…
Justice and Development Party’s (AKPJustice and Development Party ) Van Central District executive member Nevzat Atansefer (33) was found death in his office on 26 December. An investigation was launched on the suspicious death of Atansefer who has a bullet wound on his head (Zaman, 26 December).
(12/114) Murder by unknown assailants in Diyarbakir Province…
On 28 December, gay Saban Çelen (49) and his housemate Ali Yavuz (35) were killed in Diyarbakir Province (Vatan, 29 December).
(12/115) Coercion in prison…
Erdogan Uçar, a prisoner in Siirt E Type Closed Prison, sent a letter to Human Rights Association’s (HRAHuman Rights Association /IHD) Diyarbakir Branch and stated that there is a physician in the prison and the prison building is over damp on 26 December. He mentioned that the prison conditions are not suitable for health and ten people have been living in rooms for 6 people and 17-18 people have been living in rooms for 10 people (Gündem, 26 December).
(12/116) Coercion in prison…
Mehmet Tapar, a prisoner in Maltepe L Type Closed Prison, allegedly beaten by guardians on 23 December. His father Ibrahim Tapar, applied to HRA and made a public statement on the grounds that his son’s life is under danger on 26 December (atilim.org, 26 December).
(12/117) Convicted association chairperson…
Van Heavy Penal Court No. 4 sentenced the chairperson of Democratic Law Solidarity association for the Families of Prisoners (TUHAD-DER) Mehmet Ali Karagüzel to 20 months’ of imprisonment in connection with his call for the protest march in Bulanik District against the ill-treatment to Abdullah Öcalan in Roj TV on 17 January 2008 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 25 December (Evrensel, 26 December).
(12/118) Convicted DTP members…
Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court No. 6 sentenced Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) Assembly member Yusuf Gündüz and DTP’s Mardin ex-chairperson Ferhan Türk to ten months’ of imprisonment each in connection with “honourable Öcalan” words they said in a commemoration on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 26 December (ANF, 26 December).
(12/119) Convicted DTP members…
Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court No. 5 sentenced the 12 members of DTP -Sükrü Aslan, Ismail Özer, Mülkiye Aslan, Elif Aslan, Sabriye Aslan, Aliye Aslan, Fadile Öner, Ayten Gökmen, Süleyman Sen, Hüseyin Özsunar, Mehmet Aslan ve Emine Çelik- to ten months’ of imprisonment each in connection with the hunger strike in DTP’s Gercüs District –in Batman Province- Branch on 23-24 January 2008 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 24 December (Gündem, 26 December).
(12/120) Convicted students… The Supreme Court of Appeal’s Penal Chamber No. 9 approved the sentences of the Hacettepe University on 19 December 2008. Ankara Heavy Penal Court No. 11 had sentenced Nihat Avci, Veli Ay, Zelal Özgökçe and Nejdet Yigit to six years’ and 3 months’ of imprisonment each on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPCTurkish Penal Code ; Hüseyin Bilgin and Haydar Karaca to three years’ and nine months’ each on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” under Article 169/2 in connection with the petitions about “the education in native tongue in universities” in 2001 (Gündem, 27 December).
(12/121) Hold of publication…
Istanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 12 sentenced the Analysis Newspaper with hold of publications for 15 days in connection with an interview with Murat Karayilan which was published on the 7th issue (Gündem, 28 December).
(12/122) Interference to action of trade union …
Police teams interfered the protests against the budget of 2009 in Mersin Province on 27 December. Two people were wounded and 7 people were detained in the incident (Milliyet, 27 December).
(12/123) Interference to action in prison…
On 26 December the next-to-kin of the prisoners in Istanbul Kartal H Type Closed Prison made a public statement to protest the prison conditions and chained themselves in front of the prsion. Police teams interfered the protestors and detained 4 people (atilim.org, 26 December).
(12/124) Attack on party building…
On 26 December unidentified people attacked on DTP’s Buca District office by throwing stones (ANF, 27 December).
(12/125) Arrested association executive…
Batman Solidarity and Mutual Help Association with Migrants’ (Göç-Der) executive Kerem Çagil was arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC on 26 December (Gündem, 26 December).
(12/126) Detentions and arrests…
Socialist Platform of the Oppresseds’ (ESP) Bursa Province representative Serpil Arslan was arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” under Article 314 of TPC 26 December. She had been detained with ten other people on 24 December (atilim.org, 26 December).
Silvan Security Directorate’s Fighting with Terrorism Department detained eight DTP member -Muzaffer Dogru, Mahir Saglam, Bayram Aktar, Misbah Umar, Metin Süren, Ozan Kaydu, Bekir Kaydu and Ihsan Mugaç- in home raids in Silvan District of Diyarbakir Province in the morning of 27 December, on the grounds that they attended to the protest against the visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Diyarbakir Province on 20 November (ANF, 27 December).
DTP’s Hani Branch vice chairperson Osman Adsiz and Sabri Özdemir were detained and arrested in Hani District of Diyarbakir Province on charges of “shouting illegal slogans” on 27 December (ANF, 27 December).
DTP members Bayram Kiliç and Fatih Gülen were arrested on charges of “shouting illegal slogans” in Karliova District of Bingöl on 26 December (Gündem, 26 December).
