Turkey learned about LGBTI+ activist Yıldız İdil Şen when she was taken into custody at the protests at Boğaziçi University against the appointed rector Melih Bulu. From January to April 2021, she has been taken into custody three times, and was called to testify once. Until now, there are seven court cases against her on the grounds varying from “violating the law on assemblies and demonstrations” to “obstructing a police officer”, and from “being a member of a terrorist organization” to “damaging public property”.
The platform was founded in opposition to the building of a power plant in 2009 at Yaykıl village of Gerze district of Sinop province to defend the natural habitat. The Platform has 24 constituents. In 2015, they won their struggle, and the power plant project was cancelled. The lawsuit against 37 people, among whom are constituents of the Platform, resulted 10 years later.
Dr. Osman Sağlam, President of Mardin Medical Chamber was summoned by the police to give statement regarding his interviews on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on public health and the province for which he is responsible. The accusation brought against him is “causing fear and panic among the public”. Osman Sağlam is the Co-chair of Mardin Medical Chamber, an internal medicine specialist, and an emergency physician.
The Gezi Park trial with 16 defendants, now referred to as a ‘joinder of action’, consists of several stages, verdicts of acquittal and retrial, merged case files. At first, 26 defendants who faced trial for “establishing and running a criminal organization” were acquitted. A new indictment was prepared after 3 years and human rights defenders were accused of acting in a hierarchical setting in partnership with Osman Kavala, who was alleged to organize and finance the Gezi protests. This trial also resulted in acquittal of all defendants only to be annulled later.
Migration Monitoring Association (GÖÇİZDER), founded in Istanbul in 2016, aims to strengthen solidarity among groups forced to migrate and to advocate for their demands for a better life. Documentation, witnessing and reporting within the domain of forced migration are their main activities that contribute to memorialization. Until now, GÖÇİZDER has faced two trials related to the activities they have conducted. The executives of the association were fined for violating the Law on Associations.
President of Van-Hakkari Medical Chamber and a member of the Psychiatric Association of Turkey (Türkiye Psikiyatri Derneği), psychiatrist Özgür Deniz Değer was summoned to give his statement regarding the interview he gave to Mezopotamya Ajansı on March 19, 2020 published under the title ‘Tek bir virüs vakası tüm cezaevini hasta eder’ (A single case can infect everyone in the prison). Değer was evaluating the precarious conditions of prisoners against the corona virus in this interview.
Trade unionist Başaran Aksu has been active in the labor movement and in the field all his life. He has taken part in trade union organizing within various industries and in foundation of independent trade unions. Aksu has been taken into custody numerous times for giving speeches and attending labor protests. Tens of investigations were launched against him. In 2014, he survived a planned lynch attack by a 400 people mob while he was working to organize laborers under the Progressive Mineral Research and Treatment Workers Trade Union of Turkey (Dev Maden-Sen) in Soma.
Turkish Medical Association (TTB) represents 88 percent of the medical physicians in Turkey. Since 2018, TTB members and executives are subjected to investigations, prosecuted, and turned into targets. 11 former executives of the TTB received prison sentences for “publicly provoking hatred or hostility in one section of the public against another section” due to their declaration entitled “War is a Matter of Public Health” concerning the Operation Olive Branch launched by the Turkish Armed Forces.
Human rights defender Özlem Dalkıran is an author and a interpreter. She is among the founding members of Amnesty International Turkey Office. She has been involved in numerous campaigns and projects of the Citizen’s Assembly (formerly knowns as the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly) and served different offices since its foundation. Dalkıran was taken into custody and arrested along with 9 others during a workshop organized in Büyükada (Istanbul) in 2017 where she was representing the Citizens’ Assembly. Her arrest and the 3-year long trial process changed her life.
“The Editors-in-Chief on Watch” solidarity campaign for Özgür Gündem Daily newspaper - shut down by a statutory decree - was launched on May 3, 2016 and ended on August 7, 2016. Investigations were launched against 49 out of the 56 Editors-in-Chief on Watch, 11 of which resulted in non-persecution. 38 files turned into lawsuits. Seven editors-in-chief on watch were acquitted whereas 27 were sentenced.