A day-to-day report on violations of freedom of expression in January

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Human Rights Association (İHD), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Documentation Center and Initiative for Freedom of Expression have released their report on Violations of Freedom of Expression and Right to Assembly and Demonstration in January 2021.

In their 11-page report, the rights organizations have underlined that the violations of freedom of expression, assembly and demonstration over the past month have shown that the gradually intensifying human rights problem of Turkey is also a problem of democracy.

Offering a day-to-day account of "administrative bans, police interventions", "investigations, prosecutions" and "other violations", the report has also been shared with the public with a video conference:

İHD rapporteurs Leman Yurtsever has talked about the violations committed in İstanbul and the Marmara region; Ahmet Çiçek about the violations in İzmir, the Aegean and Western Mediterranean; Osman İşçi about the violations in Ankara, Central Anatolia and Central and Eastern Black Sea region; and Derya Yıldırım has talked about the violations committed in Diyarbakır, Southern and Eastern Anatolia.

Some highlights from the report are as follows:

January 1 - Ankara: Women's Defense Network member B.U. was sent to court after being detained due to her social media post, which said, "The days we will burn this city down are close" on femicides on December 31, 2020. She was later released on January 1, 2021 with judicial measures.

January 4 - Istanbul: The police detained 2 students protesting the appointment of a rector to Boğaziçi University by the President, using physical violence.

January 5 - Uşak: Four workers fired from Kaynak Spinning Factory due to organising with Öz Spinning-Labour Union were detained together with the union executives as they wanted to make a statement.

January 11 - Ankara: The press statement organized in front of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the one thousandth day of the protests of Cargill workers was prevented by the police. Cargill workers have been fired from work due to their union membership. Afterwards, the police intervened against the workers making a sit-in protest in front of Tekgıda-Labour Union building, detaining 10 people.

January 14 - Istanbul: The building of BEKSAV in Kadıköy was raided by the police and all digital material was seized together with the computers.

January 15 - Istanbul: Bar Association issued a reprimanding penalty against Eren Keskin due to the charge of "insulting Erdoğan" she was convicted of in 2017 after the demand of the Secretary General of the Presidency.

January 22 - Ankara: The press statement organised by the Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD), Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), Lawyers Group for Social Law and Democracy member lawyers in front of the courthouse due to the "Day of Lawyers in Danger" was prevented by the police based on the measures taken within the COVID-19 outbreak.

January 24 - Istanbul: The letter written by Şiyar Yıldırım, who is arrested at Silivri Prison, to Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, was confiscated. On the other hand, the letter written by his wife was not handed to Şiyar Yıldırım due to "lack of Kurdish translator."

January 30 - Istanbul: Five people were detained with the allegation that a picture of Kaaba was put on the floor during an exhibition at the Boğaziçi University campus. Afterwards, the LGBTI+ studies club was searched and the banners were confiscated. Targeting four of those detained on social media, Soylu wrote, "Four obscene LGBTIs were detained."

Comments and suggestions

At the end of the report, the comments and suggestions of İHD's Osman İşçi and Ahmet Çiçek have also been shared:

Human Rights Association (İHD) Ankara (Osman İşçi)

"Violations in this period are seen to be intensifying around physical interventions, prosecutions and claims for the revocation of Parliamentary immunities. We observe that the reflections of the shrinkage in the social sphere on the Parliament has led to many claims of Parliamentary immunity revocations against especially oppositional Parliament members.

"Besides Parliament members, oppressive policies and applications continue against journalists, union members and workers as well. It would be beneficial for human rights organisations and advocates to conduct documentation and advocacy activities specific to these fields."

Human Rights Association (İHD) İzmir (Ahmet Çiçek):

"Many workers have recently been fired from work due to reasons like professional union membership. Unemployment has reached a peak during the pandemic, and is now increasing even more with more workers being fired. Another reason why they are fired from work is that, especially in our region, Governorates require municipalities to conduct 'security investigations' and this has led to 100 workers from being dismissed.

"Despite the Constitutional Court decree on security investigations being unnecessary, the Governorate insists on such an application - which is both unlawful and arbitrary." (HA/SD)