29.09.2010 Daily Human Rights Report
(09/124) Convicted party general chairperson…
Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 5 sentenced Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDPPeace and Democracy Party ) General Chairperson Selahattin Demirtaş to 12 months of imprisonment in connection with a public statement he made as the spokesperson of Diyarbakır Democracy Platform on the well-being of Abdullah Öcalan and later with his speech that was broadcasted on Roj TV on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 28 September 2010. The sentence then commuted to 10 months of imprisonment and the court postponed the announcement of the sentence. The court adjudicated to subject Selahattin Demirtaş to probation measurement for five years (ntvmsnbc.com, 28 September).
(09/125) Convicted party executive…
Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 4 sentenced BDP’s Central District Chairperson Selahattin Elçi to nine years and 2 months of imprisonment in connection with using “Kurdish People’s Leader” phrase for Abdullah Öcalan in a public statement in Bingöl Province 6 December 2009 on charges of “committing offence on behalf of an organisation although he is not a member” under Article 220/6 of TPCTurkish Penal Code and “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law on 28 September 2010 (Gündem, 28 September).
(09/126) Eavesdropped persons…
Reported on 28 September 2010 that Turkish General Staff bought eavesdropping devices from Israel to “eavesdrop PKKKurdish Workers' Party members” and made “illegal eavesdropping” of the conversations of 1346 people including human rights defenders, politicians, academics, and trade. According to the amendment of the law in 2005 eavesdropping can be made only by National Intelligence Organisation, Security General Directorate and Gendarmerie General Command (Taraf, 28 September).
(09/127) Attack on the group on march in Ankara…
A racist group attacked on the 44 members of the Solidarity Association of the Prisoners’ Families (Tutuklu Hükümlü Aileleri Yardımlaşma Derneği (TAYAD)) with stones who had been on march from Istanbul to Ankara Province with the demands “put an end solitary confinement in prisons, practise weekly chat right and release the prisons with chronic diseases” in Kazan District of Ankara Province on 28 September 2010. No one wounded in the attack (Gündem, 28 September).
(09/128) Ongoing KCKUnion of Communities in Kurdistan Case…
On 24 September 2010 Erzurum Heavy Penal Court No. 2 went on hearing the case 30 defendants -14 of them pre-trial detainee- who had been detained in the operation against the 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), in Iğdır Province on 21 January 2010 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation”.
The court released the pre-trial detainees Abdulbari Terik, Şahab Çelik and Aziz Çam and prolonged the detention period for four others including Iğdır Mayor Mehmet Nuri Güneş after taking the legal arguments of the defendants. The hearing was adjourned to 2 December 2010 (Gündem, 24 September).
(09/129) Attack on Cemevi in İzmir Province…
Unidentified people attempted to set fire on the Cemevi (a kind of community house for Alevi Sect) of Alevi Path Culture Association in Asarlık Quarter of Menemen District of İzmir Province on 27 September 2010. The tables and chairs were burned in the attack.
Ahmet Öztaş, the chairperson of the association, stated that the last attack was the sixth attack in last 18 months (Milliyet, 29 September).
(09/130) Detentions and arrests…
Hanefi Avcı, former Security Director of Eskişehir Province was detained in Ankara Province on 28 September 2010 and arrested by İstanbul Heavy Penal Court No. 14 on charges of “helping and harbouring an illegal organisation” (Revolutionary Headquarters) the same day.
A search warrant had been issued against Hanefi Avcı in the context of Revolutionary Headquarters investigation (Radikal, 28 September).
