RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

Page 233

Court Requested to Bring in DTP MPs by Force

Court Requested to Bring in DTP MPs by Force

The court decided to bring in DTP members Emine Ayna and Selahattin Demirtaş by force and to issue a new notification for Ahmet Türk. Prof. Dr. Kaboğlu suggested to solve the problem of the MPs immunity by the removal of article 14 concerned with an exception for "terror crimes".

30 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Transsexuals Take Position against Chief of Police Hüseyin Çapkın

Transsexuals Take Position against Chief of Police Hüseyin Çapkın

About 100 people protested in Istanbul's district of Beyoğlu, claiming that the pressure on tansvestites and transsexuals has increased ever since Hüseyin Çapkın became Chief of Police.

29 September 2009 Bawer Çakır,Zeynep Kuray

Complaint about Chief of General Staff Goes to Military Prosecutor

Complaint about Chief of General Staff Goes to Military Prosecutor

Istanbul MP Uras and activist Algan representatively handed a petition to the Sultanahmet Courthouse concerning a trial against the Chief of General Staff. Uras expects the issue to be brought to the Grand National Assembly.

29 September 2009 Bawer Çakır

"Media Uses Women to Deviate Attention from Kurdish Question"

"Media Uses Women to Deviate Attention from Kurdish Question"

In the "Media and Women" panel discussion of the Mesopotamia Social Forum Turkish journalists and authors evaluated the role of women in the mass media regarding the Kurdish question.

29 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Diyarbakır Prison Should Become a Museum

Diyarbakır Prison Should Become a Museum

Intellectuals protest against Minister Eker's plan of turning the Diyarbakır prison into a school. They started a campaign to convert the prison into a museum for human rights instead to remember the torture experienced by many prisoners.

28 September 2009 Bawer Çakır

Prosecutor Declines Governor's Complaint about Journalist

Prosecutor Declines Governor's Complaint about Journalist

The governor filed a complaint about a journalist for criticizing him. The prosecutor did not see the need to trial the journalist, highlighting that "it is the duty of the press to criticize the press and inform the people".

28 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Copyright Protection Shouldn't Undermine Freedom of Speech

Copyright Protection Shouldn't Undermine Freedom of Speech

In the course of the discussion of blocked access to the entire contents of MySpace, RSF pointed out that the Turkish Internet legislation violates the European Convention for Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

25 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Prosecutor Ignores Official Report and Closes Child's Torture Case

Prosecutor Ignores Official Report and Closes Child's Torture Case

Lawyer Timur objected the attorney general's decision of another nolle prosequi after a report from TİHV had not been taken into consideration. The report proved that C.E. had been tortured by the police and in prison. The family awaits the case to be discussed before the ECHR.

25 September 2009 Tolga Korkut

MÜYAP: No Intention to Block Access to Last FM and MySpace

MÜYAP: No Intention to Block Access to Last FM and MySpace

MÜYAP chairman Forta claimed: "Ownership rights are stolen, we fight for our right. Turkish law blocked access to the websites". Forta argued that MÜYAP agreed with MySpace and that the site can be accessed again within a few days.

24 September 2009 Bawer Çakır

Musa Anter Award Goes to DİHA, Batman Post and Kahraman

DİHA correspondents Altan and Erden receive the Musa Anter Award together with Karbaş from Batman Post. Kahrman from Batman Post won in the photography category and Ayrancıoğlu is awarded for his caricature.

24 September 2009 Bawer Çakır

Latest Pro-Kurd Daily Survives Only One Month!

Latest Pro-Kurd Daily Survives Only One Month!

Less than 1 month after the ban of Günlük newspaper, an Istanbul court also banned the "Democratic Initiative" newspaper on the grounds of an alleged praise of PKK member Aliye Timur in a news article about his funeral.

24 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

ECHR Condemns Turkey For Deportation of Iranian Refugees

ECHR Condemns Turkey For Deportation of Iranian Refugees

The ECHR convicted Turkey for the deportation of Iranian refugees Abdolkhani and Karimnia to a payment of 40,000 Euro in compensation.

24 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Challenge for Infamous Prosecutor: BIA Quotes Avşar Interview

Challenge for Infamous Prosecutor: BIA Quotes Avşar Interview

Bakırköy Public Prosecutor Ali Çakır's investigation against Hülya Avşar and Devrim Sevimay has nothing to do with "justice". This abuse of public power under the pretense of the "Kurdish Initiative" is nothing else but mobbing against the two women. We are protesting.

23 September 2009

Musa Doğan Released - No Extradition to Turkey

Musa Doğan Released - No Extradition to Turkey

After 8 months TKP/ML member Musa Doğan was released from his sentence to life imprisonment because of health reasons. Sweden has granted asylum to Doğan.

23 September 2009 Erhan Üstündağ,Shirvan Nuray Sarıkaya

Soldier's Acquittal: Precedent Case for Impunity after Killing Civilians

Soldier's Acquittal: Precedent Case for Impunity after Killing Civilians

The Court of Appeals approved the acquittal of a specialist sergeant who killed a civilian when he fired his gun into the crowd of a demonstration.

23 September 2009 Erhan Üstündağ

BİA's Second Quarterly Media Report

BİA's Second Quarterly Media Report

According to the quarterly report of the BİA Media Monitoring Desk published for April, May and June 2009, a total of 125 people, 57 of them journalists, were on trial in 80 cases for expressing their opinions during that period.

22 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Secret Defendant in JITEM Case Withdraws Statement

Secret Defendant in JITEM Case Withdraws Statement

Five people are tried together with Colonel Temizöz and Abdülhakim Güven regarding a number of unsolved murders. Güven claimed that his statement made under the name of "Ball-Point Pen" are invalid and that he signed that statement without knowing its content.

22 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Refugees Protest: "No Food for Us"

Refugees Protest: "No Food for Us"

Refugees kept in a refugee camp of the Aliens Department in the Istanbul district of Fatih/Kumkapı revolted to draw attention to their poor living conditions.

21 September 2009 Emine Özcan

MySpace and Last FM Censored

MySpace and Last FM Censored

With a decision from June this year the Beyoğlu Public Prosecutor's Office now blocked access to MySpace and Last FM, two of the world's biggest sites for socializing and music-sharing. Both artists and internet users voiced their disapproval of the decision.

21 September 2009 Bawer Çakır

Journalist Nadiye Gürbüz Released

Journalist Nadiye Gürbüz Released

Radio journalist Gürbüz was released from detention in her second hearing. Gürbüz had been detained after an operation against the Turkish communist party. Her trial is to be continued.

18 September 2009 Bawer Çakır

ECHR: 9 out of 10 Cases in Turkey Unjust

ECHR: 9 out of 10 Cases in Turkey Unjust

Out of a total of 97,300 cases in the hands of the ECHR 11.4 percent are from Turkey. 1,676 out of 1939 cases from Turkey are concerned with violations of the European Convention. In 50 years only 37 decisions taken by Turkish courts were justified by the ECHR.

18 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalist Convicted Because of Anecdote about the President

Journalist Convicted Because of Anecdote about the President

The court convicted journalist Sevda Turaçlar from the Turkish 'Ekspres' newspaper of insulting president Gül because of publishing an "ignoble" anecdote regarding the president. The sentence of almost 1 year imprisonment is suspended for a period of 5 years. Turçlar declared not to lodge an appeal.

18 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Murder File Returned to its Origin after 18 Years

Murder File Returned to its Origin after 18 Years

The Malatya Public Prosecutor's Office decided to close the investigation into the murder case of Vedat Aydın because of "lack of jurisdiction". After 18 years the file has been returned to Diyarbakır now "where the incident started".

17 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

ECHR: Turkey Guilty of Disregarding Union's Rights

ECHR: Turkey Guilty of Disregarding Union's Rights

The ECHR decided in favor of Eğitim-Sen union members Kaya and Seyhan. The union members applied to the ECHR after they had encountered administrative and judicial pressure because of their participation in a one day strike.

17 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Cumhuriyet Newspaper Wiretapped in Ergenekon Investgation!

Cumhuriyet Newspaper Wiretapped in Ergenekon Investgation!

Cumhuriyet newspaper claimed two journalist were illegally wiretapped related to an operation concerning journalist Mustafa Balbay, who is a detained defendant under charge of "membership of the Ergenekon terror organization". TGC chairman Erinç said that this is a deprivation of the right of freedom of speech for everybody living in Turkey.

17 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Establishing Independent Media Center in Northern Cyprus

Establishing Independent Media Center in Northern Cyprus

NGOs, mostly ignored by the media, and independent journalists from Northern Cyprus establish a common internet portal which will be operational in August 2010. Hugh Pope from ICG and Erhan Üstündağ from bianet participated in a conference about the project in Nicosia last weekend.

16 September 2009 Erhan Üstündağ

Prosecutor Calls For Acquittal of Taraf Newspaper Director

Prosecutor Calls For Acquittal of Taraf Newspaper Director

The court prosecutor called for the acquittal of Adnan Demir, director of Taraf newspaper. He is accused of violating a publishing ban because of reporting about an attack on the Aktütün Police Station. The case will be continued on 20 October.

16 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalist Indicted Without Being Informed

Journalist Indicted Without Being Informed

Journalist Baransu is accused of "insulting the military" because of publishing news about the "Anti-Reactionary Plan" against AKP and the religious Fetullah Gülen movement. Now his file has been taken to the Ministry of Justice. The General Staff announced that they opened a trial against Baransu.

15 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Turkish Journalist Organizations Criticize Fine for Doğan Media Group

Turkish Journalist Organizations Criticize Fine for Doğan Media Group

According to Journalist Organizations TGC and ÇGD, the heavy fine imposed by the Turkish tax authorities on Doğan Media Group is aimed to silence "criticism of political power" and to bring the group's course "closer to the government".

14 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalists Writing About Hrant Dink Murder under Prosecution

Journalists Writing About Hrant Dink Murder under Prosecution

Head of the Police Intelligence Department Akyürek filed a complaint against journalist Kemal Göktaş after he has already taken journalist Nedim Şener to court. Both pressmen published books about the Hrant Dink murder, voicing their critical concerns about the handling of the case.

14 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalist Önal Assaulted for Taking Pictures of Accident

Journalist Önal Assaulted for Taking Pictures of Accident

Journalist Yakup Önal was attacked when he took photos of a bus that had tipped over after an accident in the Tekirdağ district of Şarköy. The journalist is not able to work because of pain as a result from the assault. The prosecutor released the three suspects after he took their statements.

13 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu

No Trial for Teaching Kurdish

No Trial for Teaching Kurdish

The Diyarbakır prosecutor's office decided to drop the trial against the parents of 10-year-old M.Ö. and Mayor Abdullah Demirbaş. With the support of Demirbaş the girl had given Kurdish lessons at home.

11 September 2009 Erol Önderoğlu