Human Rights Association (IHD) Diyarbakir Branch has disclosed the report of 2015 on violations of rights in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia Regions’ at a press conference in the main Kurdish city.
According to the IHD report, 3,711 violations of rights were registered in North Kurdistan region in the first three months of 2015.
IHD Deputy President and Diyarbakir Branch Chair Raci Bilici who spoke before disclosing the report stated that the process aimed at ending the conflict environment in Turkey and North Kurdistan has made no progress due to the government’s policies insistent on taking no steps serving a solution.
Bilici pointed out that the positive energy created by the expectation of the society since the beginning of the process has recently been replaced by worries and concerns, adding that incidents like those in Şırnak’s Cizre district at the beginning of the year and the most recent in Diyadin district of Ağrı, as well as the developments and right violations within the period of two years have tested the sincerity of the process.
Bilici emphasized that violations of rights have continued in the first three months of 2015, and recalled the recent enactment of the internal security bill which strengthens the authority of security forces and local administrative chiefs, adding; “This legal amendment which is a manifestation of the police state has already caused an increase in right violations and we are concerned that it will continue doing so.”
Bilici remarked that security forces treating the demos with a great supression and intolerance have intervened 31 mass demonstrations in the Kurdish region within the first three months of 2015, adding; “So much so that they raid houses and detain people yet before the beginning of demos, suspecting that ‘they will join the demo and create a problem’.” Citing the report, Bilici said that a total of 862 people were detained, including 180 minors, for joining demonstrations and among them 147 were remanded in custody, including 12 minors, in the first three months.
Stressing that personal safety and freedom is greatly being threatened in the Kurdish region, Bilici said; “The data revealed in the report reveal that security forces resort to the use of disproportionate force and exceed the authority entitled to them by laws.”
‘Öcalan remains in isolation’
Pointing out that the enforcement regime of Turkey remained far away from universal norms of law and therefore caused intense violations of rights in prisons, Bilici said that violations of rights, especially that of health, in Turkish prisons resulted in fatal consequences. “According to the updated data of our Association, there are a total of 649 sick prisoners in jails, including 247 severely.
IHD Diyarbakir Branch Chair stressed that Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı prison have been provided with some vital conveniences thanks to the resolution process but still remained in conditions of isolation for being denied meeting with his family and lawyers, communication like other prisoners, and satisfactory healthy circumstances. He called for an immediate end to the conditions of isolation in consideration of his individual rights and his being an important actor of the resolution process.
‘Violations against women and children on the increase’
Calling attention to the lack of gender equality and social policies, Bilici said that violence against women and children continued increasingly. He proposed a cooperation with non-governmental organizations working on the issue in order to come up with a solution to the existing problems.
Bilici remarked that children have suffered from a considerable violation of their rights, being subjected to sexual abuse, blacklisting, violence in mass demonstrations, and targeted by bullets of security forces.
Following Bilici’s speech, IHD MYK (Central Executive Board) Member and Eastern-Southeastern Anatolia Region Representative Abdulsselam İnceören announced the report on right violations.
The report by IHD listed the violations of rights in the Kurdish region in the first three months of 2015 as follows;
- 6 killed, 6 wounded by police and gendarme
- 2 wounded by village guards
- 3 killed, 1 wounded as a result of official defect/neglect
- 13 women committed and 3 attempted suicide
- 11 children committed suicide
- 8 died, 1 wounded in suspected death of police/soldiers
- 862 taken in custody, including 180 minors
- 147 remanded in custody, including 12 minors
- 70 suffered torture and ill treatment
- 27 wounded/assaulted in intervention in mass demonstrations
- 288 subjected to investigation, trial and sentence
- 154 violations of rights in prisons
- 312 violations of economic and social rights
