20 April 2012-Daily Human Rights Report

 (04/135) Ongoing KCK Case in Van Province…

19 April 2012 Van Heavy Penal Court No. 3 went on hearing the case against Education and Science Workers Trade Union (Egitim-Sen) Van Branch Chairperson Selami Özyaşar, Eğitim-Sen Van Branch former Chairperson Lezgin Botan and Galip Yaviç who had been detained on 21 June 2011 and arrested on 25 June 2011 on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation - Koma Ciwaken Kurdistan-Kurdistan Communities League /Assembly of Turkey (KCK/TM), the KCK is allegedly intended to organize the Kurdish people as an umbrella organization that includes Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)” under Article 314 of TPC.

After hearing the legal argument of the defendants the court released them taking the period of time they spent in prison and adjourned the hearing to 3 July 2012.

(04/136) Tried students…

T.T. (18) who had been arrested after he told the torture and rape incidents in Pozantı (Adana) Prison for Juveniles, will be tried in Adana Heavy Penal Court No. 6 on charges of “opposing to the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations”, “harming public goods”, “resisting public officers on duty”, “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law and “committing offence on behalf of an organisation although he is not a member” under Article 220/6 of TPC on 8 May 2012.

(04/137) Closure case against the trade union…

İzmir Law court of First Instance No. 9 declined the case against the Trade Union of Tobacco Cultivators (Tütün-Sen) which was launched by İzmir Governorate on 16 April 2012.

The court had closed the trade union before but the Supreme Court of Appeal’s 4^th Law Chamber annulled the closure verdict.

(04/138) Detention operations after Newroz Celebrations…

Lawyers Mazlum Dinç, Rezan Sarıca and Hüseyin Boğatekin were not allowed to visit their client Abdullah Öcalan on 19 April 2012 on grounds that the ship that would carry them to İmralı Island was out of order.

(04/139) Detention operations after Newroz Celebrations…

S.T. who was detained in home raids on 16 April 2012 on the grounds that he had participated in the Newroz Celebrations in Malazgirt District of Muş Province on 20 March 2012 was arrested on 19 April 2012.

(04/140) Home raids in Mardin Province…

Home raids were conducted against the members of the Peace and Democracy Party, the Democratic Society Congress and the Peace Mothers Initiative in Derik and Nusaybin Districts of Mardin Province on 18 April 2012. Three executives of the BDP out of the 15 detainees who had been detained in Derik District were arrested on charges of “being a member of an illegal organisation” and  “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” on 19 April 2012.

The Documentation Centre of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) prepares the daily human rights reports on the basis of reports in the media (newspapers, Internet portals...) and information from the network that the HRFT has established. The sources of information include: Akşam, Zaman, Yeni Şafak, Vatan, Star, Sabah, Radikal, Milliyet, Hürriyet, Evrensel, Birgün, Cumhuriyet, Vakit, Fırat News Agency, Atılım, Gündem, Ntvmsnbc.com, Bianet.org, İndymedia.org, Sesonline.net, Gazetem.net, Haber7.com, Yeni Özgür Politika, Libre News Agency, Halkinsesi.tv, Cnnturk, Alinteri, Kızılbayrak, Taraf, Günlük.

S. Erdem Türközü

Evren Özer