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The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), Human Rights Association (İHD) and Initiative for Freedom of Expression released their monthly report on violations of freedom of expression in Turkey in April.
While the findings of the report were shared with the public in an online meeting, the meeting was attended by Coşkun Üsterci (Human Rights Foundation of Turkey/ TİHV Secretary General), Ahmet Çiçek (Human Rights Association/ İHD İzmir), Osman İşçi (İHD Ankara Executive Board member), Leman Yurtsever (İHD İstanbul) Abdullah Zeytun (Diyarbakır İHD) and Şanar Yurdatapan (Initiative for Freedom of Expression).
'Violations continued in April'
İHD's Osman İşçi has made the following comments:
"In terms of violations against freedom of expression and the freedom of meeting and demonstration, interventions, detainments, investigations and prosecutions continued in Ankara and surrounding provinces in April 2021.
"Among the violations happening in this period, especially police interventions, access bans, Parliamentary summaries, posters being taken down and prosecutions were observed to have continued. Applications resulting in rights violations continued in April 2021. Effective documentation, reporting and advocacy on such violations are necessary to be made through long-term planning and coordination with other rights organisations."
'April was full of heavy violations'
TİHV's Coşkun Üsterci has said the following:
"April 2021 was a month full of heavy violations in terms of freedom of expression, meeting and organisation. I would like to evaluate the month by highlighting a few incidents:
"The first was the press statements organised by workers and labourers throughout April and the security interventions against them with violence.
"As my colleagues have just stated, many people were detained as a result of such interventions, there were even those injured. The center of such protests and interventions was usually Istanbul.
Interventions against workers
"The security interventions were mostly against the protests and resistances of workers, who were dismissed from work due to being members of professional unions. Thus, not only the freedoms of expression, meeting and demonstration but also the torture ban and mistreatment ban were successively violated. I would like to give two examples on such violations:
"Workers of Migros storage unit in Çayırova district of Kocaeli as well as workers dismissed due to their membership to the Union of Storage, Port, Harbour, Shipyard and Marine Workers organised demonstrations and press statements. Separate events were organised in front of the villa of Migros Chief Executive Board Chairman Tuncay Özilhan in Beykoz, on April 5, 8, and 14. 60 people were detained in total as a result of these press statements, two people were injured. One person's arm was broken after they refused the reverse handcuffing application.
"Another example was the protests of PTT workers, who were dismissed due to being members of the PTT Union. They organised a press statement in Istanbul on April 15 as well. There was a police intervention against it, with violence again. 8 people were detained. However, what was interesting here was this: The police confiscated the cell phones of those detained and deleted the recordings of the police intervention.
'Phones confiscated, visuals deleted'
"The police confiscating the phones and deleting visuals of the intervention constitute another highlight of April. The disproportionate, unlawful, unmonitored violence applied arbitrarily by the police, especially against peaceful meetings and demonstrations, have been increasing for a while.
"These applications were tied to a rule and attempted to be legitimised. The Security General Directorate launched a circular on April 27, 2021 with the title, 'Regarding the Recording of Visuals and Audio' and ordered the prevention of recordings during police interventions, even when legal conditions are there, the circular ordered legal action to be taken against those recording the visuals and audio due to 'violation of privacy.'
"This circular is a worrying development that will result in all crimes committed by security forces, especially torture and mistreatment, committed during arbitrary and unlawful interventions against the right to peaceful meeting and demonstration protected by the Constitution be covered up.
'Banners of the opposition taken down'
"Another worrying development in April 2021 was that even though the opposition parties' main job is to criticise the decisions taken and work done by the ruling power, the banners, posters and ads used by the parties within their right to criticism were taken down either upon Prosecutor orders or court decrees. This is an activity that aims to block the political field against opposition parties.
"For instance, banners prepared by the Leftist Party in Artvin and Edirne, as well as the People's Democratic Party (HDP) in Istanbul and Adana to protest Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention were taken down in six places. What's even more striking is that posters prepared by the Republican People's Party (CHP), asking where the 128 billion dollars are and hung on party buildings, were taken down in 7 provinces and 41 districts upon Prosecutor's order.
Interventions against the 1st of May
"On the other hand, interventions against May 1st have already started in April, becoming even more tense due to the measures against the pandemic. 136 people, including three journalists, were detained. 11 people were fined within the Law of Misdemeanor.
"Governorate bans were issued in 8 provinces (Aydın, Denizli, Edirne, Hakkari, İstanbul, Kocaeli, Siirt ve Van) and 2 districts (Gebze ve Kartal) in April, especially between April 15-20, to include May 1st as well. These bans usually lasted between 15 days and 1 month, banning all meetings and demonstrations.
Demonstration ban in Van
"When it comes to Governorate bans, I would like to end my evaluation by pointing out the ongoing meeting and demonstration ban in Van for more than four years. Van Governorate banned all meetings and demonstrations across the province once again for 15 days on April 17, 2021.
"Thus, the continuous protest and demonstration ban applied in the province since November 21, 2016 was extended to 1624 days." (RT/SD)
