Human Rights Association publishes report on violations in North Kurdistan

In its 2021 report, the IHD Amed Branch said that 151 people and 156 prisoners were tortured. “Isolation should be lifted immediately,” the report said, drawing attention to the isolation of Imrali.

The Human Rights Association (IHD) Amed Branch announced the report it prepared on the violations of rights recorded in 2021 in the cities of North Kurdistan. Speaking at the meeting, IHD deputy chair, Rehşan Bataray Saman, said that the state of emergency continues in Kurdistan and this has created irreparable damage to human rights issues. Noting that human rights violations increased in 2021, Saman added that “the conflict and violence environment, which is more visible and widespread in our region, continues at full speed. In military operations, armed conflicts and explosions, every other day people lose their lives.”

‘A terrible conflict’

Saying that Kurdistan is facing a “terrible conflict” scene, Saman touched upon the deaths, detentions, arrests, and the closure case against the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Reminding that politicians are still being held in prisons despite the European Court of Human Rights rulings on Kurdish deputies and co-mayors who were replaced by State-trustees, Saman said that cases such as the bombing of the Şemdinli Book House shows the insistence on the policy of impunity pursued by the state.

Saman said that 151 people were subjected to torture and ill-treatment in detention units, house raids and on the streets. She pointed out that 156 prisoners were subjected to torture and ill-treatment in prisons, and added that “these inhumane methods should be stopped immediately, those who resort to these methods should be dismissed and brought to justice and punished.”

Prisons: Deportation, torture, death

Stating that 170 political prisoners were deported to places far from their families during this period, Saman noted that there are still 1,605 ill prisoners, 604 of whom are seriously ill, in jail. Noting that 7 of these detainees lost their lives in 2021 due to lack of access to quality healthcare, Saman also touched upon the isolation imposed on Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, and said: “Isolation is being imposed against PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in Imralı Prison. It is a violation of human rights that Öcalan, who is a convicted prisoner, and 3 political prisoners in the same prison, are not allowed to meet with their families and lawyers. There is a long list of arbitrary practices in prisons which are incompatible with the law. Therefore, we call for an immediate end to isolation.”

Drawing attention to the situation of ill prisoners Mehmet Emin Özkan and Aysel Tuğluk, Saman called on the Ministry of Justice to “end the illegal conditions in prison”. She said that the violations are the result of wrong and erroneous state policies and demanded that the policies that led to the increase of human rights violations be abandoned. The conflict environment should end as soon as possible, she added, and conflict should be resolved through dialogue.

IHD representative Tahir Saçaklıdır disclosed the data in the report. He said that the police and soldiers killed 2 people and injured another 8 who did not obey the stop warning.

2 detainees, 8 soldiers and one police officer allegedly committed suicide and died suspiciously. Stating that 5 people lost their lives and 2 people were injured as a result of official mistakes and negligence, Saçaklıdır added that a political party leader was injured in an attack, 1 journalist, 2 teachers, 1 lawyer, 2 doctors, and 15 health workers were injured following attacks.

Saçaklıdır recalled that 12 soldiers, police and intelligence personnel and 1 Iraqi citizen who were detained by PKK members lost their lives during the invading attacks in the Gare region in the Federated Kurdistan Region and added that 1 person was shot dead on the border line, 2 people were injured there, and 1 person froze to death.

Saçaklıdır said that 2 children and 2 adults lost their lives and 1 child and 4 adults were injured as a result of mine explosions.

A total of 51 people, including 9 children, 38 women and 4 men, were found suspiciously dead.

Stating that 950 regions in 5 cities and 19 districts were declared “special security zones” 7 times this year, Saçaklıdır noted that curfews were declared 13 times in 155 villages/neighbourhoods and dozens of hamlets as well as in 2 city centers and 10 districts connected to them.

Violations of the rights of women and children

Stating that 21 women committed suicide during this period and 10 women attempted suicide, Saçaklıdır said that 32 women lost their lives as a result of domestic violence, 17 were injured as a result of the violence they were subjected to, and 3 women were sexually assaulted.

Talking about rights violations against children, Saçaklıdır stated that 12 children committed suicide, 4 attempted suicide, 4 children died as a result of domestic violence, 11 children were injured as a result of violence, and 9 were exposed to sexual abuse.

Torture, political genocide, death at work

According to the data shared by Saçaklıdır, other violations were as follows:

“At least 56 people were subjected to torture and ill-treatment in custody. 94 people were subjected to torture and ill-treatment outside their detention places (street-house raids). One person was ill-treated by the village guards; 156 prisoners were tortured and ill-treated in prison.

1741 people, 29 of them children, were taken into custody. 312 people, including 1 child, were remanded in custody. One person was given house arrest. 1461 houses/offices were raided. An investigation was launched against 102 people in 25 investigation files. In 14 case files, 65 persons were prosecuted. Various prison sentences and fines were given to 191 people in 57 files, including politicians, journalists and public workers.

170 prisoners were deported without justification. 23 prisoners were exposed to a violation of their right to health. An investigation was launched against at least 56 prisoners. 115 prisoners were given disciplinary punishment. At least 4 prisoners were put in isolation.

22 workers lost their lives and 8 workers were injured in occupational accidents that occurred as a result of unsafe working conditions. 404 people were laid off. 15 people were dismissed and 23 people were expelled. While 2 district municipality co-mayors were dismissed, a trustee was appointed to one district municipality; 4 city council members and 4 provincial council members were dismissed.”