The case concerned with the death of 44 people from the village of Bilge in south-eastern Turkey was decided this week. 6 defendants received a 44 counts aggravated life sentence; one defendant underage was sentenced to 44 counts of 15 years imprisonment.

The Turkish law allows abortion until the 20th week of pregnancy in case a woman got pregnant because of rape. Yet, a judge dismissed the request for abortion, saying that he would not be exploited for murder. Rights defenders criticized the decision.

The Governor of Istanbul engaged more than 22,000 policemen for 1 May. Union representatives will be at the check points. Six union confederations will gather at Taksim square after a converging demonstration. The whole area will be closed to traffic.

The family of killed Baran Tursun is tried for raising against the court during the law suit filed related to the death of their son and brother. Tursun's parents and his sister are facing prison sentence. The case was postponed to 9 July to hear eight witnesses of the defence.

The Turkish Parliament passed another three amendments of the constitutional reform package on 27April. Amendments regarding the Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges were accepted and provisional article 15 on the prosecution of putchists from 1980 was lifted.

Fincanı from the Turkish Human Rights Foundation says that "bianet means facts in human rights and free, independent and true journalism". Türkdoğan from the Human Rights Foundation states, "Awareness of human rights is raised by the news from bianet".

While a police officer responsible for the death of Baran Tursun received a prison sentence of 25 months, the victim's mother is facing imprisonment of 41 months because of her reaction to the court's decision to release the defendant pending tiral.

A Diyarbakır court handed down a one year's prison sentence to Siirt Mayor Sadak under charges of "spreading PKK propaganda" on the grounds of using the term "Kurdistan" in a statement. Sadak was recently sentenced to another ten months in jail for a photo in a calendar.

The Justice and Development Party submitted the proposal for a parliamentary investigation into the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink three years ago. Should the proposal be approved, the parliament would have to find the abetters for the murder.

The Gendarmerie General Command appointed new commanders to a total of 40 provinces including the posts of detained colonels Kayseri Provincial Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Temizöz and Eskişehir Provincial Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Gençoglu.

Another trial has been launched against journalist Saymaz based on an article about the interrogation of Erzincan Public Chief Prosecutor Erhan Cihaner when he was in custody. Saymaz is facing a total of 18 years imprisonment.

BİA will celebrate its 10th anniversary at the coming weekend. BİA started off as a project lead by the principle of "Journalism for rights, freedom for journalists". The 10-year's struggle for an independent media includes the news site, training sessions, books, international forums and thousands of voluntary contributions.

Journalist Fuat Doğansoy disclaimed the news about himself published in Vakit newspaper saying that "he was caught with drugs in Finland". Doğansoy believes to be targeted.

This year's national Children's Day celebrated in Turkey on 23 April was shadowed by recent incidents of violence against children, abuse, rape and death besides punishments against children decreed by courts.

"This pain is our pain, his mourning is the mourning of all of us" was written on the banner on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the deportation of Armenians. More than 500 people gathered around the banner in Taksim/Istanbul for a silent commemoration.

Reporters without Borders claimed to leave aside the prosecution of authors Şener and Göktaş, who drew attention to the state's responsibiltiy in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Dink in their books. Instead, the ones responsible for the assassination should be revealed, RSF said.

Radikal newspaper journalist Saymaz will stand trial on 29 April for his critical news items concerned with "Ergenekon" defendant Şahin. At the same time, Star newspaper writer Tayyar was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment.

After three days of constitutional sessions, amendments on collective bargaining, the right to strike and lockout, closure of political parties, public autidorship, loss of membership of the parliament and regulations regarding the General Administrative Board passed through parliament.

Primary school students in Siirt were abused and raped by school staff throughout the last two years. The Teachers' Union Eğitim-Sen said that everybody who helped to conceal this crime against humanity bears a joint guilt.

The European Court of Human Rights convicted Turkey based on extrajudicial killings by the police. Turkey was sentenced to a € 103,000 fine for "violating the right to life" regarding the killing of an innocent bystander during a police raid of a private home.