Turkey’s Batman province faced 14 violations of rights per day in 2021, shows report

* Photo: Batman Bar Association

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Human Rights Association (İHD) Batman Branch has shared the findings of its report regarding the violations of rights committed in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Batman in 2021.

Holding a press briefing yesterday (January 27), İHD Branch executive Ahmet Şiray said that the number of violations of rights in the city increased: In 2021, 5,019 violations of rights happened in Batman in total.

35 people tortured

According to Şiray's statement, the conditions that were aggravated after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016 have become permanent.

In 2021, several complaints were submitted to the İHD Batman Branch. Ahmet Şiray underlined that people from all segments of society were subjected to violations of rights last year: "35 people were subjected to torture and ill treatment in prisons and 32 people were offered to work as agents and subjected to torture in places outside detention centers."

Şiray also noted that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic measures led to violations of rights in the province as "139 people were given administrative fines because of violating the restrictions."

Bans led to violations

According to the data shared by Şiray about the violations of personal rights and freedoms in Batman in 2021, "across the city, 112 house raids were conducted by the law enforcement; 474 people, including six children were detained and 67 people were arrested and sent to jail."

In Batman, the governor's office banned events and demonstrations six times, Şiray said, noting that bans led to violations of rights: "Law enforcement intervened in 22 attempted events and demonstrations; 193 people who expressed their opinions faced administrative sanctions."

The İHD report has indicated that "a significant part of the violations happened in prisons and targeted personal liberty and security, freedom of thought and expression and prohibition of torture."

'Rising racism and political violence'

Commenting on the findings of the report, Ahmet Şiray said, "All violations of rights in the report unfortunately constitute only a small part of all violations of rights that occurred throughout Turkey."

Şiray added, "The discriminatory policies of the government which turns everyone not from its ranks into a target trigger ethnic, religious, sexist and political prejudices and render human rights abuses systematic. While the economic collapse condemns people to live on the verge of starvation, racism, discrimination and political violence are gradually rising."

Şiray called on all institutions to fulfill their duties to eliminate violations of rights and urged everyone to step up the struggle for human rights. (AEK/SD)