Ayça Söylemez

Ayça Söylemez

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bianet İnsan Hakları Editörü (2011-2024). BirGün’de Anonim adlı köşeyi yazıyor. Vatan, Akşam, HaberTürk ve Hürriyet gazetelerinin yazıişleri ve dış haberler bölümünde çalıştı. Güncel Hukuk dergisinde...

bianet İnsan Hakları Editörü (2011-2024). BirGün’de Anonim adlı köşeyi yazıyor. Vatan, Akşam, HaberTürk ve Hürriyet gazetelerinin yazıişleri ve dış haberler bölümünde çalıştı. Güncel Hukuk dergisinde yazıları yayınlandı. Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Bölümü'nde yüksek lisans yaptı. Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Felsefe Bölümü mezunu.

Ayça Söylemez

bianet submits shadow report to UN Human Rights Committee

bianet submits shadow report to UN Human Rights Committee

The 25-page report includes assessments regarding violations of freedom of expression and other fundamental human rights in Turkey, along with recommendations for addressing these issues.

21 October 2024

Ayça Söylemez

Imprisoned lawyer exposes use of disciplinary investigations to pressure political prisoners

Imprisoned lawyer exposes use of disciplinary investigations to pressure political prisoners

Barkın Timtik explained unlawful practices regarding disciplinary investigations frequently opened against political prisoners.

22 September 2024

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Tap water ‘smells of bleach’ in Muğla prison

Tap water ‘smells of bleach’ in Muğla prison

Prisoners serving aggravated life sentences have shared rights violations they experience.

18 September 2024

Ayça Söylemez

Censorship on a letter from prison describing hunger

Censorship on a letter from prison describing hunger

This time, instead of the usual redaction of some sentences, entire sections of the letter were completely covered up and only sent as a photocopy.

Ayça Söylemez

Prisoner on hunger strike: 'I am alone without sunlight'

Prisoner on hunger strike: 'I am alone without sunlight'

Halil Yakut, who is on a hunger strike demanding to be transferred to another prison, stated, "While the real culprits of the earthquake are not being prosecuted and the detained contractors are being released, I, an earthquake survivor, have been imprisoned."

Ayça Söylemez

Tahir Elçi killing: Prosecution seeks acquittal of all police officers

Tahir Elçi killing: Prosecution seeks acquittal of all police officers

Elçi, the then-chair of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, was killed in 2015 during a shootout between police officers and Kurdish armed militia.

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‘How can there be water problem in a recently constructed prison?’

‘How can there be water problem in a recently constructed prison?’

Families of inmates held at the campus prison in Kırşehir described both the mistreatment suffered by prisoners and the difficulties they face during visits

ECtHR sentences Turkey for violation of right to a fair trial

ECtHR sentences Turkey for violation of right to a fair trial

Orhan Şahin had received life sentence.

Ayça Söylemez

Prisoner battered after refusing strip search

Prisoner battered after refusing strip search

The prisoner alleges that the police told her, "We don't recognize the Constitution or the law here, do you undress or not, tell us that."

Ayça Söylemez

'The right to a fair trial violated in the ÇHD case'

REPORT FROM 25 INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BAR ASSOCIATIONS:

'The right to a fair trial violated in the ÇHD case'

25 international legal organizations and bar associations met with detained lawyers from the ÇHD case, documenting the violations in the judicial process and prison conditions.

28 February 2024

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ECtHR: Deportation of Iraqi Family fleeing ISIS constitutes violation of right to life

ECtHR: Deportation of Iraqi Family fleeing ISIS constitutes violation of right to life

The European court has ruled that local courts and the Constitutional Court did not adequately consider the claims of fear of persecution and the situation in Iraq when deciding on the deportation of the Iraqi family.

8 February 2024

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Were those responsible for the destruction brought to justice?

FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF FEBRUARY 6 EARTHQUAKES:

Were those responsible for the destruction brought to justice?

Lawyer Erdoğan Akdoğdu says that insufficient evidence was collected and an effective investigation was not conducted in the ongoing cases regarding the losses in the February 6 earthquakes. He also underlines that we do not have data on how many citizens are missing and we do not know if the numbers regarding deaths are accurate.

6 February 2024

Ayça Söylemez

Criminal complaint against experts who find suspects 'faultless' for collapsed buildings

FEBRUARY 6 EARTHQUAKES:

Criminal complaint against experts who find suspects 'faultless' for collapsed buildings

In the criminal complaint, it was stated that the suspects, who had been previously caught attempting to flee, were released based on the expert report.

31 January 2024

Rising postal expenses impede prisoners' sole connection to the outside world

Rising postal expenses impede prisoners' sole connection to the outside world

"Due to economic reasons and the exorbitant prices set by PTT, I am sending this letter through regular mail. I hope it reaches you intact and without censorship. Sending guaranteed letters such as registered or APS has become economically challenging," says a prisoner.

4 December 2023

Hitit University revokes prisoners’ permission to study over ‘security concerns’

Hitit University revokes prisoners’ permission to study over ‘security concerns’

The senate of the university unanimously decided that students, if they don't fulfill the obligation of attending classes, won't be allowed to take exams, and they have the right to freeze their registrations upon their request.

6 November 2023

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Constitutional Court petitioned after lack of prosecution for police in 2015 Ankara Massacre

Constitutional Court petitioned after lack of prosecution for police in 2015 Ankara Massacre

The lack of action by the police authorities in assessing the belatedly discovered notification within the case documents led to a non-prosecution decision. Subsequently, intervening lawyers have brought their grievances to the high court.

25 October 2023

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'ISIS members convicted in the massacre case are outside among us'

OCTOBER 10 ANKARA MASSACRE

'ISIS members convicted in the massacre case are outside among us'

"Records of what an already organized apparatus would do during a critical period that changed Turkey's political history, which had been collected in advance, was very disturbing to see for all of us," says Senem Doğanoğlu, an intervening attorney in the case related to the 2015 Ankara bombings that resulted in death of 109 people.

10 October 2023

Journalist Ayşenur Aslan completed giving her statement at the courthouse

Journalist Ayşenur Aslan completed giving her statement at the courthouse

Arslan would go to the courthouse on her own if invited; there was no need to take her by the police, her lawyer Celal Ülgen told bianet.

Youth association members face 'terror' charges for singing songs, wearing certain colors

Youth association members face 'terror' charges for singing songs, wearing certain colors

Twelve individuals will appear before the court in late September for "being a member of a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

20 September 2023

Prisoner on hunger strike for 117 days demands transfer

Prisoner on hunger strike for 117 days demands transfer

Nedim Öztürk was transferred to a high-security prison after his release was postponed.

Acquittal of the prosecutor upheld in 'Return to Life operation' case

Acquittal of the prosecutor upheld in 'Return to Life operation' case

Assembly of Criminal Chambers of the Court of Cassation has acknowledged that there was a 12 year delay in the investigation into the deadly operation on prisons carried out in 2000, but stated that this was because of the military officials' reluctance to give the names of the officers that participated in the operation.

Turkey's heroin seizures more than doubled entire EU in 2021, reveals drug report

Turkey's heroin seizures more than doubled entire EU in 2021, reveals drug report

According to the EMCDDA report, the significant increase in the seizure of various types of drugs has neither affected their supply nor their price.

UN's İstanbul Protocol on effective investigation and documentation of torture now in Turkish

UN's İstanbul Protocol on effective investigation and documentation of torture now in Turkish

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey introduced the Turkish translation of the UN protocol at an international event in İstanbul. bianet interviewed the participants.

CoE's governing body requests immediate release of Yüksekdağ, Demirtaş, Kavala

CoE's governing body requests immediate release of Yüksekdağ, Demirtaş, Kavala

The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers demanded the immediate release of Osman Kavala, Figen Yüksekdağ, and Selahattin Demirtaş, stating their detentions were unjustified and lacked reasonable grounds.

Turkey's interior minister faces criminal complaint over facial recognition app exposing IDs

Turkey's interior minister faces criminal complaint over facial recognition app exposing IDs

Minister Soylu had shown during a YouTube video that he was able to identify a person by uploading their photo to the app.

ECtHR rules in favor of Amnesty International against Turkey

ECtHR rules in favor of Amnesty International against Turkey

An administrative fine had been imposed on Amnesty Turkey for allegedly failing to inform the government before using funds from other countries.

Appeals court overturns social media user's sentence for calling Bahçeli a 'dotard'

Appeals court overturns social media user's sentence for calling Bahçeli a 'dotard'

The social media user had been fined for "insulting" the MHP leader.

ECtHR convicts Turkey for violating Peace Academics' rights

ECtHR convicts Turkey for violating Peace Academics' rights

Three academics had been dismissed from their posts and their passports had been revoked. Their right to education and right to respect for one's private life were violated, the European court has concluded.

Neighborhood guards beat quake survivors: 'We are the state here'

Neighborhood guards beat quake survivors: 'We are the state here'

A man was beaten by neighborhood guards while he was trying to pick up the belongings of his sister-in-law from her apartment.

Three officers investigated over 'torture, killing' of refugees on Turkey-Syria border

Three officers investigated over 'torture, killing' of refugees on Turkey-Syria border

Two people from Syria were killed and two others were seriously injured after being tortured and forced to drink diesel after they were captured trying to cross into Turkey. Three soldiers were briefly arrested.

'It is forgotten that prisoners are earthquake survivors, too'

'It is forgotten that prisoners are earthquake survivors, too'

Many prisoners in the earthquake-hit region face difficulties in communicating with their families and access to basic needs since they lost economic support from their families, according to CISST.

Constitutional Court rules in favor of freedom of labor

Constitutional Court rules in favor of freedom of labor

The decision concerns those who were dismissed from public service by Statutory Decrees following the attempted coup in 2016 and makes it possible for them to work in companies with public partnerships.