Human Rights Association (IHD) Amed (Diyarbakır) Branch announced its report on rights violations in Kurdistan in 2024. 

 

Speaking at the meeting, IHD Amed Branch Chair Ercan Yılmaz said that the long-standing unresolved Kurdish question has caused serious human rights violations in Turkey. Yılmaz stated that the Kurdish people's access to basic rights, their identity and the right to education in their mother tongue have not been recognised since the establishment of the Republic. 

 

Sharing the evaluations of the report, Rumeysa Deniz Kaya, Co-Vice Chair of IHD, said that human rights violations continued last year in an intensified and systematic manner. Rumeysa Deniz Kaya stated that policies based on violence, sexism, racist approaches and discriminatory practices deepened. Rumeysa Deniz Kaya stressed as a result of the policies, a total of 2 thousand 14 people, including at least 108 children, were detained in Kurdistan, at least 308 people, including 8 children, were arrested, at least 12 people were placed under house arrest, and at least 972 houses/workplaces were raided by the security forces. 

 

Sharing the data on freedom of thought and expression, Rumeysa Deniz Kaya stated that 60 people were investigated in 178 cases, 108 people were prosecuted in 20 cases, and 93 people, including journalists and politicians, were sentenced to various prison sentences and fines in 23 cases. 

 

‘RELEASE OF AT LEAST 32 PRISONERS POSTPONED’

 

Rumeysa Deniz Kaya stated that in the same year, 109 prisoners were transferred to other prisons against their will, at least 125 prisoners' right to health and at least 1 prisoner's right to visit were violated, at least 74 prisoners were investigated for various reasons and at least 40 of them were given disciplinary penalties. Rumeysa Deniz Kaya stated that at least 22 prisoners were subjected to isolation and isolation and the execution of at least 32 prisoners was postponed for various reasons. 

 

‘THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PUT FORWARD A ROAD MAP FOR PEACE’

 

Drawing attention to Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and Democratic Society”, “In this new period that has begun, the state and the government need to put forward a road map for peace by analysing both the reasons that led to the Kurdish question and the new problem areas that arise every day due to its unresolved nature. A dialogue mechanism that will strengthen negotiations between the parties to the conflict should be established and conditions should be provided for the actors to play their roles,” she said. 

 

Rumeysa Deniz Kaya called for legal and constitutional arrangements to be made for the solution of the Kurdish question and said, “On this basis, we call on all segments to make more effort to maintain the negotiation environment initiated for the democratic solution of the Kurdish question and to achieve results.”

 

Then IHD Amed Branch Secretary Omer Saman announced the Balance sheet of rights violations. In the balance sheet of the report, Saman stated that there were casualties due to official negligence. In addition, violations in the conflict environment, violations against the rights to life of women and children, and violations against the prohibition of torture by law enforcement officers were included in the report. The report also includes violations against freedom and security of person, freedom of thought and expression, freedom of assembly and demonstration, economic and social rights, right to health, right to education, right to environment. 

 

In the report, violations in prisons and trustee appointments were listed as follows: 

 

VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS IN PRISONS 

 

* At least 109 prisoners were transferred to other prisons against their will, without justification or on various grounds. 

 

* At least 125 prisoners’ right to health and at least 1 prisoner’s right to family visits were violated. 

 

* Investigations were initiated against at least 74 prisoners and disciplinary penalties were given to at least 40 prisoners. 

 

* At least 22 prisoners were subjected to isolation. 

 

* Execution of at least 32 prisoners was postponed on various grounds (not appearing before the board, disciplinary punishment, lack of remorse, not attending ceremonies on religious and national days). 

 

TRUSTEE APPOINTMENTS

 

*Trustees were appointed to 7 municipalities in the region. Administrative investigations were initiated against 4 municipalities. 

 

*Passports of at least 9 co-mayors were subjected to ‘general security’ measures upon the request of the Directorate General of Security. 

 

*Investigations and prosecutions were opened against at least 6 co-mayors on various grounds.