Monthly Report on Rights Violations by CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu

"Human Rights"

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu has shared the findings of his report on violations of human rights committed in Turkey in January 2020.

The report has shown that at least 18 people were detained, one person was arrested and three people were sentenced to prison/fines due to their social media messages. An investigation was also launched against 67 people over their social media posts about earthquakes.

Some of the violations documented by the MP were as follows:

* 35 areas in the districts of Merkez, Solhan, Karlıova, Genç, Yayladere, Yedisu, Kiğı and Adaklı in Bingöl and and 15 areas in the districts of Merkez, Cizre, Silopi, Uludere, Güçlükonak and Beytüşşebap in Van were declared as "special security zones" between January 1-15 and January 31-February 14; five areas in the districts of Merkez, Çukurca, Şemdinli, Yüksekova and Derecik were declared as such from January 12 to February 10.

* On January 11, a boat with refugees on board capsized off the shores of Çeşme in the Turkey's Aegean province of İzmir. While 11 people, including eight children lost their lives, eight others were rescued.

* According to the data shared by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG Assembly), 112 workers lost their lives in occupational homicides in January 2020. While 12 of the deceased were women and three of them were children (one child younger than 14), seven immigrants/refugees also lost their lives in occupational homicides.

* The works of human rights organizations have shown that at least 294 inmates were subjected to physical/psychological violence in January. Including at least 250 inmates diagnosed with mange in Muğla Type E Prison, prisoners right to healthcare was also prevented.

* In January, at least one journalist was arrested (Cevdet Akgün from a local newspaper in Zonguldak was arrested for 4 days). Two journalists were released. At least seven journalists and press workers were sentenced to prison an/or judicial fines over their journalistic activities (Ahmet Altan-Prison sentence upheld, Osman Akın-Two separate prison sentences). One journalist was also put on trial over his/her journalistic activities, one journalist was acquitted, lawsuits against three journalists were dropped.

Arrests over social media messages

* Last month, at least 18 people were taken into custody, at least one person was arrested and at least three people were sentenced to prison/fines due to their social media messages. An investigation was launched against at least 67 people over their social media posts about earthquakes.

* In January 2020, hundreds of people from political parties, municipalities, unions and associations were taken into custody, several people were arrested. In operations against the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), at least five co-mayors (Mardin Kızıltepe District Co-Mayor Zeyni İpek) and municipal council members were detained. At least two co-mayors and municipal council members were arrested. At least two co-mayors (Mardin-Savur Mehmet Aydın Alökmen, Şırnak-Kumçatı Mehmet Demir) were sentenced to prison. One MP (Çağlar Demirel) was sentenced to prison.

Trustee-appointed municipalities

* In January, three municipal council members were replaced with trustees by the Ministry of Interior. HDP's nine municipal council members were removed from office by the Ministry of Interior in Şırnak-Silopi, Diyarbakır-Sur and Bitlis-Tatvan. (RT/SD)