Ayça Söylemez - Bianet

Ayça Söylemez

Page 2

Police beat earthquake survivor outside of his house, accusing him of theft

Police beat earthquake survivor outside of his house, accusing him of theft

A man who is on trial for theft wanted to check out the damage in his building in Hatay after the massive earthquakes. Checking his criminal record, the police implicated and beat him.

27 February 2023

Court blocks access to lawyer's tweet about man's killing in detention following earthquakes

Court blocks access to lawyer's tweet about man's killing in detention following earthquakes

One of the two brothers who were detained on suspicion of theft following the February 6 earthquakes was killed after allegedly being tortured.

24 February 2023

Justified ruling in ÇHD case: Prison sentence for wearing cap with red star

PROGRESSIVE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Justified ruling in ÇHD case: Prison sentence for wearing cap with red star

The lawyers who stood trial in the ÇHD cases were sentenced to a total of 233 years and 9 months in prison on "terror" charges.

24 February 2023

Profiling case against anti-terror police chiefs for illegally keeping private information

Profiling case against anti-terror police chiefs for illegally keeping private information

Twelve former police officers and chiefs are being charged with keeping the records of 4,395 communications of 3,248 people illegally in 355 different investigations and keeping 2 thousand separate notes on private lives of these people.

24 February 2023

'I took basic needs such as rice, tomatoes, and potatoes'

'I took basic needs such as rice, tomatoes, and potatoes'

Sabri Güreşçi, who claims that he was severely tortured after being taken into custody on charges of theft, was released from the police station. His brother died after being beaten at the police station.

15 February 2023

Ex-Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan does not appear at court, reports sick

OPERATION BACK TO LIFE

Ex-Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan does not appear at court, reports sick

This was the third time Tantan did not appear despite an invitation from the court to witness in the case related to the deadly prison operation in 2000 killing at least 31 prisoners.

26 January 2023

National Security Council sends court 29 year-old press releases

OPERATION BACK TO LIFE

National Security Council sends court 29 year-old press releases

National Security Council sent old press statements in reply to court in the case related to "Operation Back to Life" which left at least 31 prisoners and two soldiers dead in December 2000.

25 January 2023

Constitutional Court says punching protester not lawful

Constitutional Court says punching protester not lawful

One of the tens of thousands of civil servants who were dismissed between 2016-2018, Nazan Bozkurt was injured by police officers during a protest against dismissals.

24 January 2023

Money transfers of relatives to prisoners examined in investigation

Money transfers of relatives to prisoners examined in investigation

Recent police operation against relatives of prisoners resulted in twenty-six detentions. Sending money or clothes to prisoners is included among the issues investigated.

16 December 2022

Constitutional journey of Türkiye: 1921, 1924, 1961, 1982

Constitutional journey of Türkiye: 1921, 1924, 1961, 1982

A new constitution or constitutional amendments are on the agenda of both government and opposition. Heading to the "critical" 2023 elections, we have taken a look at the 101 years of the country's constitutional journey.

12 December 2022

Top appeals court overturns 'terror' conviction over yellow-red-green necklace

Top appeals court overturns 'terror' conviction over yellow-red-green necklace

A necklace he was wearing while participating in Saturday Mothers demonstration five years ago was grounds for allegations of terrorist propaganda against Yavuz Baki. The local court had associated the colors of the necklace with the PKK.

9 December 2022

Accusing police of torture, Gülten Matur files complaint

Accusing police of torture, Gülten Matur files complaint

Matur, 51, alleges that she had been informally detained and tortured for eight days in İstanbul last month.

8 December 2022

'SoE Commission does not have any legal, administrative, financial, or criminal liability'

'SoE Commission does not have any legal, administrative, financial, or criminal liability'

Discharged from public service, primary school teacher Karataş had both held one-person demonstrations, and requested his reinstatement from the State of Emergency Commission. Commission rejected his request, making a "back to the future" decision based on his protests after dismissal.

2 December 2022

Released after months of hunger strike, Gökhan Yıldırım in prison again

Released after months of hunger strike, Gökhan Yıldırım in prison again

Yıldırım was imprisoned on November 22, just over a month after ending his hunger strike. Accepting the prosecutor's appeal against his release, the court concluded that Yıldırım's statements after being released were "terror propaganda."

2 December 2022

Detention of Gülten Matur: 'Top terrorist' allegation doesn't exist in investigation file

Detention of Gülten Matur: 'Top terrorist' allegation doesn't exist in investigation file

The state media had described Matur as a "top terrorist" after her detention. Alleging that she had been tortured for eight days before she was formally detained, Matur filed a complaint.

1 December 2022

Allegations of severe torture in İstanbul

Allegations of severe torture in İstanbul

Gülten Matur has said she was subjected to severe torture from security officers, including foot whipping and hanging, in an "unknown place" in İstanbul.

29 November 2022

Top court rejects appeal in Progressive Lawyers Association case in single-sentence verdict

Top court rejects appeal in Progressive Lawyers Association case in single-sentence verdict

The Constitutional Court has rejected the appeal where 18 lawyers were sentenced to a total imprisonment of over 159 years, stating "there is no violation" but without giving any justification.

24 November 2022

Şebnem Korur-Fincancı: The truth makes us human

Şebnem Korur-Fincancı: The truth makes us human

"Both the prosecutor and the judge thought that there was a contradiction between me first 'establishing the facts' and then saying it should be investigated," says the head of the Turkish Medical Association, who was arrested after her comments about the chemical warfare allegations against Türkiye.

23 November 2022

Court of Cassation overturns sentences in Büyükada case

Court of Cassation overturns sentences in Büyükada case

Several rights advocates were arrested and put on trial after a meeting in İstanbul in 2017. The top appeals court has overturned the sentences in respect of substance.

22 November 2022

ECtHR: Arrest of 13 HDP deputies was 'politically motivated'

ECtHR: Arrest of 13 HDP deputies was 'politically motivated'

Twelve of the politicians were arrested in 2016. A lawyer for the MPs has said that they should be released immediately.

8 November 2022

Ex-police intelligence chief 'fabricated evidence by replacing DVD with CD'

PROGRESSIVE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION CASE

Ex-police intelligence chief 'fabricated evidence by replacing DVD with CD'

Objection to digital evidence in the ÇHD case: "The digital materials former police intelligence chief Ramazan Akyürek sent to prosecution is not the DVD that came from abroad as claimed. One DVD was replaced with a CD."

8 November 2022

Progressive Lawyers Association case: 'Police threatened me with my sister,' says witness

Progressive Lawyers Association case: 'Police threatened me with my sister,' says witness

The next hearing of the ÇHD case will take place between November 7-11. The defending lawyers have demanded a witness of another case who said he had been threatened by the police to testify against the ÇHD lawyers be heard in the next hearing.

14 October 2022

Calling one a 'shady person' not defamation, appeals court rules

Calling one a 'shady person' not defamation, appeals court rules

The acquittal was finalized in the case where lawyer Polat Balkan stood trial for calling a businessperson "one of the shadiest and dirtiest persons history has ever seen."

10 October 2022

Prisoners at Çorum open prison forced to work but not allowed to study

Prisoners at Çorum open prison forced to work but not allowed to study

Three prisoners have been enrolled at a university but are not allowed to attend classes.

30 September 2022

Musa Anter murder case adjourned to after expiry of statute of limitations

Musa Anter murder case adjourned to after expiry of statute of limitations

The case concerning the 1992 assassination of the Kurdish author and journalist will drop due to the statute of limitations on September 20. The court scheduled the next hearing for September 21.

15 September 2022

How is the public 'provoked into hatred and hostility' in Türkiye?

'TCK 216'

How is the public 'provoked into hatred and hostility' in Türkiye?

Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code has increasingly been used for the prosecution of the government critics. Lawyer Çiğdem Akbulut explains the double standards in the implementation of the article.

1 September 2022

Constitutional Court: Judgment can't be based on testimony taken without presence of lawyer

Constitutional Court: Judgment can't be based on testimony taken without presence of lawyer

The top court has ruled that the right to fair was violated in the cases of two applicants who were sentenced to life imprisonment based on the statements they had given without the presence of a lawyer.

Imprisoned Kurdish politician denied release for 'saying hello to other prisoners' families'

Imprisoned Kurdish politician denied release for 'saying hello to other prisoners' families'

Mukaddes Kubilay, the former co-mayr of Ağrı, has been found not to be in good conduct and her release has been delayed.

Constitutional Court: One-person sit-in protest cannot disrupt public order

Constitutional Court: One-person sit-in protest cannot disrupt public order

A teacher dismissed by a statutory decree was fined for staging a sit-in protest, demanding her job back.

'My brother used to weigh 62 kilos, now he weighs 44'

PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE

'My brother used to weigh 62 kilos, now he weighs 44'

The 46,5-year prison sentence given to Gökhan Yıldırım, who has been on a hunger strike for 182 days demanding a "fair trial", has been upheld by the Court of Cassation.

From chemotherapy to courtroom

From chemotherapy to courtroom

The first hearing of the case against sick prisoner Hasan Karapınar will be held tomorrow. Karapınar has been diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma.

Application to ECtHR for mass grave, "Right to mourn" violated

Application to ECtHR for mass grave, "Right to mourn" violated

Turan Ece, the lawyer of Cevdet Tatar, whose brother was left in the mass grave in Çatak has petitioned the ECtHR that the family's right to mourn was violated and that a "crime against humanity" was committed.