RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

Page 268

Journalist Questioned for Covering Killing

Local journalists who covered the killing of an 11-year-old Kurdish girl by security forces in September are being investigated under article 301 for publicly denigrating the military and police establishment.

2 November 2006

Conscientious Objectors Sentence Protested

Turkeys Human Rights Association has said a 25 month prison sentence passed by a military court against conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan is wrongful and unacceptable, calling for an end to repression of those objecting to war.

16 October 2006

UN Officials Visit Lawyer on Death Strike

Members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visit Turkish lawyer Behic Asci on the 194th consecutive day of his hunger strike to protest isolation conditions in maximum security prisons.

16 October 2006

Journalist Sentenced for Insulting President

Writer and journalist Abdurrahman Dilipak has been sentenced to 1.5 year in prison for insulting the president in article titled Is Sezer Sick? published in the Anadoluda Vakit newspaper. Court converts sentence to 5,700 euro.

16 October 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

Agean Tragedy Stirs Amnesty Reaction

AI Turkey branch demands international procedures and court case be launched against Greek authorities for deportation of 40 refugees forced to abandon boat into Turkish territorial waters last Monday. 6 bodies recovered but 3 still missing.

Intellectuals Solidarize with Hrant Dink

Leading Turkish intellectuals declare themselves as accomplices to Armenian-Turkish Hrant Dink who, says AI, is being harassed through repeated prosecution and at verge of jail which would lead to recognition as an international Prisoner of Conscience.

29 September 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

Eurlings: PKK Should Declare Ceasefire

EP calls for more reforms on freedom of opinion, religious and minority, women and cultural rights, civilian-military relations, unions and impartiality of justice. Evaluation report adopted by General Assembly asks Ankara to open ports to Greek Cyprus.

28 September 2006

Lawyer Reaches 175. Day in Hunger Strike

Lawyer Asci lived through the 175th consecutive day of his one-man hunger strike on Tuesday in protest of isolation treatment in maximum-security F-type prisons. Justice Ministry has so far failed to take any steps on issue.

27 September 2006 Kemal Özmen

Police Releases Jailed British Artist

Following his arbitrary arrest, 3 days in prison and around a week of being held at a police station, artist Dickinson was finally released. He was hosted in a dirty isolation cell, left hungry and sleepless while made to listen to the police beating.

26 September 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

IHD Blames Terror Law for Recent Prosecuitons

More than 110 people including journalists have been rounded up in a major operation aiming to crush a leftwing organization.Unions, associations, newspaper bureaus and a radio station have been searched by police. 82 still under custody, 30 detained.

25 September 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

TIHV: 301 + 14 Articles Need Change

Human Rights Foundation discloses that 96 people have appeared before courts in 2006 on charges related only to what they wrote. Onen says: The very soul of the Penal, Anti-Terror, Protection of Ataturk, Press and RTUK codes must be changed.

22 September 2006

Mayor Demirbas Acquitted in Propaganda Case

Court acquits Mayor Demirbas on charges of propaganda in European Social Forum statement titled Municipalities and Local Administrations in the Light of the Multilingualism. Case was launched on grounds that the PKK also demands Kurdish language rights.

21 September 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

Red Alert on Shafak Case

Human rights groups are warning to authorities on the outlawed activities of intervening Jurists Union demanding measures and an investigation. Concerns mount over security at court due to rightwing groups public appeal to display national unity.

20 September 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

Kirandi Case Sent to High Criminal Court

Four newsmen and five human rights activists involved in securing and covering the release of a Turkish soldier kidnapped by the PKK are to be tried at High Criminal Court unless their appeal is accepted. Prosecutor currently demands 5 years jail for each

20 September 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

9 Years Jail Demand for Rights Activist

Diyarbakir prosecutors have demanded 9 years imprisonment for IHD Provincial Chairman Selahattin Demirtas due to remarks he made on Gun TV and Roj TV. Demirtas is accused of propaganda for terror organization.

20 September 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

Charges Leveled Against Bombing General

Chief of Staff Prosecutors Office charges retired General Tokat for public revelation of ordering clandestine street bombings in Southeast Turkey. Rights activists insist retired commander should be put on trial for human rights violations.

4 September 2006

Probe into Obligatory Counsel Strike

Public Prosecutors Office probes Ankara Bar Association in wake of decision to halt all obligatory counsel services as of Wednesday, following governments failure to pay up. Association executives face possible charges of authority abuse.

Policeman Challenges Military Immunity

A Turkish police superintendent has filed a court case to annul a circular granting immunity from police detention to soldiers and armed forces members even if they are caught red handed while committing crimes out of uniform.

Obligatory Counsel: Duty or Sacrifice?

Lawyer and leading children rights activist Akco analyses Turkeys obligatory counsel crisis as bar associations nation-wide stop free legal aid in lack of government funding: The problem is the state policy which is based on the sacrifice of lawyers.

7 August 2006 Seda Akço

IHD Blames Police For Istanbul Provocation

Human Rights Association says plainclothes officers provoked incidents during anti-Israel protest in Istanbul where police used excessive force. They beat the demonstrators. Police threw gas bombs anywhere there were people moving.

Funds Required To Prevent Torture

Turkeys Human Rights Foundation calls on Justice Ministry to allocate resources for free counseling in wake of TTB decision to halt services due to lack of funding. The right to access to counsel means prevention of torture. Its the governments duty t

Journalist Magden Acquitted

Istanbul court acquits novelist-journalist Perihan Magden on charges of discouraging people from military service. Magden was indicted for 2005 magazine article Constientious Objection Is A Humans Right.

Police Attacks Unionists

A number of union members and executives were injured in a police attack when they attempted to hold a press conference in protest of layoffs. Witnesses say injuries result of gas bombs. Turkeys Transport Workers Union has condemned attack.

TBB Ending Free Counseling on August 1

Union of Bar Associations is halting all free counseling services for defendants charged under the Criminal Procedures Code on August 1, following Ministry failure to cover costs. Thousands of defendants who cant afford lawyers are at loss.

Kart and Kabaali Get Press Freedom Awards

Prosecuted Turkish cartoonist Musa Kart and Mithat Kabaali, the judge who acquitted him on charges of insult, have received the TGC 2006 Press Freedom Awards. Kabaali says I did whatever was required for the supremacy of justice.

25 July 2006 Emine Özcan

Hello, I Request 301 to be Abolished

Initiative for Freedom Expression leads meeting in Gezi Park using mobile phones to call and SMS MPs asking for article 301 of and Anti-Terror Law to be abolished. Most deputies reject incoming calls while some promise to look into the matter.

25 July 2006 Emine Özcan

Ending Free Counsel Victimizes Children

A leading association on children rights has warned that the governments failure to pay for free counseling services prompting an end to the practice next month, will victimize minors threatened by torture and mistreatment and affect all defendants.

Newspaper Editor Threatened With 3,5 Years

Local Prosecutor demands 3.5 years for daily Birgun newspaper Sunday supplement editor Gokhan Gencay for discouraging the public from military service. Charge relates to an interviwev published in the paper with a conscientious objector.

21 July 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

Civil Disobedience Spreads for Hrant Dink

Initiative For Freedom of Expression expand civil disobedience action through public declaration denouncing themselves as co-offenders of journalist Dink after appeals court upholds a suspended 6 month sentence criminalizing his article in Agos weekly

17 July 2006 Erol Önderoğlu

Judge and Defendant Share Press Freedom Award

Turkeys Journalists Association (TGC) 2006 Press Freedom Awards goes to cartoonist Musa Kart for his prosecuted caricature depicting PM Erdogan as an entangled cat as well as Eskisehir Chief Justice Mithat Ali Kabaali who acquitted him.

Dink Verdict on Way to European Court

Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dinks lawyer Fethiye Cetin says they will take his suspended 6 months prison sentence to the European Court of Human Rights. Cetin expresses sorrow for justice system, noting that the opportunity to s

Attack on Journalist and Wife Condemned

TGC, TSYD, Gaziantep Journalists Association, Gaziantep chambers of Commerce and Industry condemn attack on Gaziantep 27 newspaper owner Okkes Ozeksi and wife, demand culprits to be apprehended and charged. Ozeksi in intensive care has brain surgery.

13 July 2006 Murat Güreş