RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

Page 274

Torture was Set Free

A court acquitted police officers Ismail Icen and Mustafa Yucel, who were being charged for torturing Daslik. Her lawyer appealed the case at the Supreme Court of Appeals. Icen, who stood another trial for torture, was acquitted in recent months.

18 November 2004 Mahmut Oral

Two Journalists Sentence in the Appeal Court

Attorneys of Kutlular the owner of daily Yeni Asya and Şirin, the writer of daily Selam who were sentenced to 2 years and 1 year 8 months respectively are going to appeal to supreme court for the correction of their sentences.

2 November 2004 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalists Charged for Illegal Affiliation

5 press workers arrested during a police raid on the offices of Dicle News Agency (DIHA) and Ozgür Halk newspaper prior to the June NATO Summit in Istanbul are indicted with having affiliations with and assisting an illegal organization.

28 October 2004

Progress on Human Rights Key to EU Bid

Turkey is now ahead of some EU member states in its legal protections for detainees, said Sugden of HRW. The Turkish state resisted these changes for more than two decades, but its recent achievements have finally brought international credit.

IHDs Letter on Systematic Torture

According to the IHD, the fact that prosecutors, judges and forensic medical experts do not document torture by police, is an evidence of systematic torture. The association sent Prime Minister Erdogan photographs of victims of torture.

21 September 2004

Kurdish Villagers Forced to Leave Home

Ilicak village residents of Beytussebap are forced to leave their homes under orders by local gendarme commander, say Human Rights Association Diyarbakir branch officials. This is the first time since 2001 when military resorted to similar measures.

Torture Claims Should Be Cleared

The Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association sent a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urging for investigation regarding claims of tortured Kurdish guerillas, arrested during operations especially in eastern and bsoutheastern Turkey.

State Responsible for Land Mine Deaths

According to data provided by the Initiative for a Turkey Without Mines, 19 land mine explosions in the last six months, killed 20 people and injured 42. 10-year-old Nesim, who is a victim, tells what he has been through.

2 August 2004 Özge Gözke

EU Inspired Laws Remain on Paper

The number of detentions increase as prosecutions decrease after the adoption of the Seventh Reform Package to broaden the right to reunion and demonstration, says MAZLUMDER, a pro-Islamist Turkish human rights organization.

692 People Tortured in The First Half of 2004

According to a report by Human Rights Association (IHD) in the first six months of 2004; 61 people lost their lives in armed clashes, 692 people were tortured or mistreated and 3,688 were arbitrarily detained.

22 July 2004 Yıldız Samer

Torture Cases Decreasing

Of 139 complaints filed with the Prime Ministry Human Rights Department over the past six months, only seven of the cases dealt with torture, causing it to fall from first to tenth on the list.

14 July 2004 Emine Dolmacı

ECHR Decision Would Affect Europe

Prof. Narli said AKP could go against its supporters following the ECHR decision. Some headscarf advocates, who have lost legal basis for their case, could become more radical, according to her.

IHD: Who is Responsible for Perinceks Death?

The IHD is making public the unexplained points in Siyar Perinceks death, and the torture that those detained went through.

17 June 2004 Yıldız Samer

Turkey:EU Bid Hinges on Further Rights Reform

HRW said that freedom of expression, torture and ill-treatment, freedom of assembly and internal displacement are all areas where important initial progress has been achieved but where significant additional efforts are needed.

Six Human Rights Organizations Concerns

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights, IHD, TIHV and Mazlum Der urged the Turkish authorities to take urgent practical measures to ensure the full protection of human rights.

PEN Centers Warn USA and Israel

Delegates from PEN centers participated in Barcelona Forum 2004 signed petitions for freedom of expression and human rights in Iraq and Israel. The petition addressing US President Bush, US administrator in Iraq Bremer and Israel Prime minister Sharon.

Prolonged Detention Costs 14,000 Euro

ECHR said Turkey, by sentencing former DEP deputy Yurttas, had violated the principles of freedom of expression, and prolonged detention. ECHR said the sentence handed to him for charges of separatism was unnecessary in a democratic society.

Radio Anchor Detained for Quoting Ocalan

Anchor Gundogdu of Adana local station Radyo Dunya was detained and will stand trial for quoting a statement from imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. She is charged with separatist broadcasts, and affiliation with illegal organization.

28 May 2004 Erol Önderoğlu

A Big Baby is Born Out of Bans on Thought!

Human rights activists compiled a voluminous book out of regulations that limit the freedom of thought. The Initiative Against Crimes of Thought, who made the study said: There is much more to be done until we can say thought is no longer a crime!

26 May 2004 Erol Önderoğlu

The Verdict of ECHR and Turkey are Different

ECHR judge Maruste, who spoke at the Human Rights General Assembly, said freedom of expression should be applied in its widest form to cases where the state authorities and government is being criticized.

21 May 2004 Özge Gözke

IHD: Attacks on Visitors Continue

Visitors of the prisoners at the Tekirdag F-type prison were beaten up by soldiers with nightsticks. The Human Rights Associations Istanbul branch is pursuing legal action against the incident.

21 May 2004 Yıldız Samer

Inquiry Against Kurdish Thank You

DEHAP head Tuncer Bakirhan testified for saying goodbye and thank you in Kurdish after a speech at an election rally. It is not yet clear if he will stand trial.

Saturday Mothers Demand Justice

523 people went missing in Turkey under detention. The Saturday Mothers, who had their weekly vigil in front of the Galatasaray High School for four years want to know what happened to the missing and demand that those responsible are tried.

Teacher Sent on Exile Because of Kurdish Poem

Teacher Eriman of an elementary school was sent to a village school after he asked his students to learn a Kurdish poem for the reading day:I am just upset that I was assigned to another school before being able to give report cards to my students.

IHD Van April Report: 21 Rights Violations

IHD Van Branchs head Lawyer Zeki Yuksel said there were a total of 35 rights violations in April, including those that appeared in the media. Yuksel also demanded that the Bostanici Paramilitary Police Station is moved out of the residential area.

7 May 2004 Umut Tarhan

Police Solidarity

4 police officers who beat up and detained two youths who were shouting, we want jobs, were released. Police officers supported their friends with applauses and prevented the reporters from taking photographs or filming the incident in the court.

Association may be Closed before it Opens

The Governorship has demanded that the Human Rights Agenda Association is closed down. The associations head, lawyer Orhan K. Cengiz, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and asked him to take action.

29 April 2004 Yıldız Samer

383 Police Officers Charged with Torture

497 people have applied to the Izmir Bar Torture Prevention Group in the last 2 years saying they were tortured. According to a report, 67 of them were women, and 121 of them were under 18. 383 police are being charged with torture in 97 trials.

TURKEY: Reforms on Freedom of Expression

International PEN, alongside the International Publishers Association, is monitoring the trials against more than 40 such books and publications that have been brought to the courts during the past year.

CIJL Condemns Guilty Verdict for DEP Deputies

There was no presumption of innocence, the defense was not treated equally with the prosecution and the independence of the court is questionable at best, Besharaty-Movaed, legal advisor for the Centre for the independence of Judges and Lawyers said.

EU Calls for DEP MPs Immediate Release

EP ad hoc delegation chair Lagendijk: We are convinced that the State Security Court cannot guarantee the impartiality of the legal proceedings against Leyla Zana and her colleagues and therefore approve the Governments plan to abolish this body.

Four Kurdish Deputies Sentenced Again

A court convicted Zana and three former Kurdish deputies of having links to rebels in their retrial, ordering them to serve the remainder of their 15-year prison sentences.They have already served 10 years in prison, would be eligible for release in 2005.