‘2,964 people's right to life violated in Turkey in 2021’

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission Sezgin Tanrıkulu has released his annual report documenting the violations of rights committed throughout Turkey in 2021.

The report has shown that the right to life of 2,964 people was violated and 3,145 people were subjected to torture and ill treatment last year.

Referring to the reports and studies of a series of rights organizations such as the Human Rights Association (İHD), Amnesty International and Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS), CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu has briefly shared the following findings in his report:

• Law enforcement officers intervened in at least 334 peaceful meetings and demonstrations by using force. At least 3,500 people were taken into custody and some of them were arrested.
• In protests against violence against women and students' protests, governor's offices banned meetings and demonstrations for at least 57 times in 26 provinces in violation of freedom of assembly and demonstration.
• In 2021, 26 journalists and program presenters were subjected to violence due to their news or while covering incidents and developments.
• 925 cases of ill treatment and torture were detected in prisons.
• 200 people who wanted to exercise their freedom of association were arrested.
• 386 violations of rights were committed in the context of expressing thoughts.
• In at least 130 court cases, 250 journalists were put on trial. At least 50 journalists were detained over their journalistic activities.
• The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed a total of 71 administrative fines on broadcasters, which accounted for 21 million 500 thousand Turkish Lira in total (23 of the RTÜK fines were imposed on Halk TV; 21 were imposed on TELE 1, 15 on Fox TV, eight on KRT and four on Habertürk)
• The Press Advertisement Institution (BİK) fined newspapers, especially Cumhuriyet, Evrensel, BirGün and Sözcü, by cutting their public ads for 115 days in total.
• In 2021, at least 92 people (including 41 journalists, writers and publishers) were sentenced to prison or judicial fines over their speeches or activities that can be considered within the scope of freedom of expression.

(RT/SD)