RIGHTS - Bianet

RIGHTS

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bianet. org Hit by Massive Cyber Attack

bianet. org Hit by Massive Cyber Attack

The publication of bianet.org was interrupted yesterday between 3.30 and 11.30 pm as a result of a cyber attack. We would like to thank our readers and colleagues who evinced their solidarity with us.

18 May 2011 Bianet Team

Cyber Attack on Birgün Daily Website

Cyber Attack on Birgün Daily Website

Access to the birgün.net website of the left-wing Birgün daily was rendered almost impossible after the website was flooded with hits on 16 May. The cyber attack was carried out via a minimum of 200 IP addresses, it was announced.

Riots in South-Eastern Turkey after Military Operations

Riots in South-Eastern Turkey after Military Operations

Thousands of people in south-eastern Turkey demonstrated against military operations that left 12 PKK members and 5 soldiers dead. Shops in the region remained closed, schools were boycotted. Demonstrators clashed with the police.

Journaist Çelik Sentenced for News about Police Officers

Journaist Çelik Sentenced for News about Police Officers

Journalist Ersin Çelik received a ten-month prison sentence because of a news item about police officers who allegedly killed student Aydın Erdem. Çelık was convicted of "disclosing the identity of a public official on anti-terror duties".

Country-Wide Protests: "Don't Touch the Internet"

Country-Wide Protests: "Don't Touch the Internet"

Tens of Thousands of people took the streets in 31 Turkish provinces on 15 May to demonstrate against the "Draft Bill on Rules and Procedures of the Safety of Internet Use". The draft law will be enforced on 22 August.

16 May 2011 Ekin Karaca,Çiçek Tahaoğlu

Journalists Şık and Mavioğlu Acquitted

Journalists Şık and Mavioğlu Acquitted

Journalists Ahmet Şık and Ertuğrul Mavioğlu were acquitted of charges of "violation of confidentiality" based on their two volumes on the Ergenekon investigation. The case was in the focus of national and international trial observers.

16 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

4 Students in Custody for Attending Demonstrations

4 Students in Custody for Attending Demonstrations

4 students in Van who were active in recent student protests were taken into custody by the Anti-Terror Police on 11 May. They were allowed to talk to their lawyers only after 24 hours. The lawyers are barred from seeing the file because of a decision of confidentiality.

13 May 2011 Ekin Karaca

Journalist Çapraz on Five-Year Probation Period

Journalist Çapraz on Five-Year Probation Period

The Yüksekova 1st Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced journalist Erkan Çapraz to imprisonment of ten months for publishing a certain article on the Yüksekova Haber newspaper's website. The pronouncement of the judgement was postponed.

12 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

2506 People Taken into Custody in 50 Days

2506 People Taken into Custody in 50 Days

Throughout the whole year of 2009, a total of 7718 people were taken into police custody. 2500 people were taken into custody only within the past 50 days.400 of them were arrested.

Wall around Murder of Journalist Mumcu Holds

Wall around Murder of Journalist Mumcu Holds

The Ankara Chief Prosecution decided that there was no need for a further prosecution regarding the assassination of journalists Mumcu 18 years ago. Mumcu's family had complaint about negligence of public officials during the investigation and the trial.

No Advance Notification for News on Private Life

No Advance Notification for News on Private Life

Upon the application filed by former International Automobile Federation Mosely, the ECHR ruled that newspapers do not have the legal duty to notify the subjects of intended publications in advance.

Independent "16 Pages" Newspaper in the Starting Block

Independent "16 Pages" Newspaper in the Starting Block

The first issue of the "16 Pages" newspaper will be published on coming Friday. The "weekly opposition" newspaper aims at financial and political independence. It will be sold at major bookstores and news agents in Istanbul and Ankara.

Journalists Attacked in Edirne and Malatya

Journalists Attacked in Edirne and Malatya

Two journalists were attacked after an event of the Republican People's Party Youth Division in Malatya on 6 May. On the same day, three journalists were assaulted by unidentified individuals in Edirne. Journalists associations condemned the attacks.

12 September File on Torture

12 September File on Torture

Because of new information on deaths under torture that increased after the military coup of 12 September 1980 the independent communication network BIA (Bianet) published reports from 1986 again. The DTF has made a summarized translation of them.

Maltreated at Home, Harassed and Threatened at the Police

Maltreated at Home, Harassed and Threatened at the Police

Female T.A. from Çorlu was first harassed and then threatened by the police after she had reported the harassment to the Dicle News Agency. She initially went to the police to complain about her violent husband.

Caricatures - A History of Censorship

Caricatures - A History of Censorship

Censorship of humour was the topic of the panel discussion entitled "Press Freedom in the Light of Humour and Comics" organized by the Turkish Journalists Association and the Association of Caricaturists. Caricatures have been censored since the Ottoman Empire.

10 May 2011 Nilay Vardar

Dink Lawyers Insist on Prosecution of Trabzon Police Officers

Dink Lawyers Insist on Prosecution of Trabzon Police Officers

The Dink family lawyers requested the prosecution of ten officials of the Trabzon Police who were on duty at the time of the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The lawyers' latest petition is based on the statements of former Trabzon Police executives.

10 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

17-Year-Old Boy Killed by Explosive on Pasture

17-Year-Old Boy Killed by Explosive on Pasture

17-year-old Murat Polat died of an explosive he found on a piece of grazing land when he herded animals in the south-eastern province of Van on 5 May.

EU Conference 'Spoke Up!' for Turkish Journalists in Prison

EU Conference 'Spoke Up!' for Turkish Journalists in Prison

Journalists in prison and internet censorship were discussed in the "Speak Up!" conference in Brussels on 6 May. Nadire Mater, Firket İlkiz and Yaman Akdeniz were among the seven guests invited from Turkey.

9 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalist Şener on Trial for Business Man's Wedding Contract

Journalist Şener on Trial for Business Man's Wedding Contract

Arrested journalist Şener was at court in the context of an "alleged violation of private life" of Turkish business man Uzan based on an article about a wedding contract. Şener was supported by colleagues and members of the Freedom for Journalists Platform.

9 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

Heavy Prison Sentence for Journalist Abay

Heavy Prison Sentence for Journalist Abay

The Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court sentenced publisher Abay to almost 19 years imprisonment on charges of managing the MLKP organization. Former Atılım newspaper chief editor Duman was handed down a life sentence. The decision was taken to the Court of Appeals.

6 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

Declaration of the Freedom for Journalists Congress

Declaration of the Freedom for Journalists Congress

In its final declaration, the Freedom for Journalists Congress urged for the release of journalists in prison, the abrogation of provisions in the Anti-Terror Law that restrict press freedom and freedom of expression and the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Law.

6 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalists Union and Reporter Özer Won Accreditation Trial

Journalists Union and Reporter Özer Won Accreditation Trial

After more than three years, the Administrative Litigation Chamber Board of the Council of State decided to repeal the accreditation ban imposed to Günlük Evrensel newspaper reporter Özer.

6 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

Journalists Union and Reporter Özer Won Accreditation Trial

Journalists Union and Reporter Özer Won Accreditation Trial

After more than three years, the Administrative Litigation Chamber Board of the Council of State decided to repeal the accreditation ban imposed to Günlük Evrensel newspaper reporter Özer.

6 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

"Mehmet's Book" still Up to Date on an Ever-Pressing Conflict

"Mehmet's Book" still Up to Date on an Ever-Pressing Conflict

Nadire Mater's book on eye-witness accounts of soldiers in Turkey's South-East was part of the Political Plays Festival in Istanbul. Mater was tried and acquitted when the book was first published in 1999. Twelve years later the topic of the book is still up to date.

5 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

Conscientious Objector on Hunger Strike for 14 Days

Conscientious Objector on Hunger Strike for 14 Days

Conscientious objector Süver started a hunger strike 14 days ago after his escape from prison and his arrest one day later. On 3 May, he was taken to a closed prison in Manisa where a 20-day isolation punishment was imposed on him. Reportedly, he is not in good health.

5 May 2011 Ekin Karaca

12 People Arrested after KCK Operations

12 People Arrested after KCK Operations

17 people were taken into custody in the course of operations against the KCK in several provinces last week. Twelve of them were arrested. Lawyer Aktar said that he has only limited access to the file because the investigation was classified.

5 May 2011 Ekin Karaca

Freedom of Expression Defendants Name by Name

Freedom of Expression Defendants Name by Name

The January-February-March Media Monitoring Report by the BİA Media Monitoring Desk revealed that a total of 103 people, 62 of whom are journalists, were tried in cases related to freedom of thought and freedom of expression.

4 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu

Court Avoids Abeyance of Procedures in Samast Trial

Court Avoids Abeyance of Procedures in Samast Trial

In the trial against Ogün Samast, prime suspect of the Hrant Dink murder, the file related to charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" was separated from the case file. This way, the trial will not be put in abeyance.

Journalist Sued for Calling Deputy "Manservant of the People"

Journalist Sued for Calling Deputy "Manservant of the People"

Gerger Fırat newspaper owner Boğatekin faces a Tl 10,000 (€ 5,000) compensation claim filed by AKP Deputy Fırat. The court rejected the defence lawyer's request for a new expert report. The trial was postponed to 30 June.

3 May 2011 Emir Çelik

Journalists Mavioğlu and Soykan at Court

Journalists Mavioğlu and Soykan at Court

Journalists Mavioğlu and Soykan are on trial for their article in the context of an article and a photograph published in 2009. The Freedom for Journalists Platform criticized that journalists are being pushed towards auto-censorship with this sort of trials.

3 May 2011 Emir Çelik

Anti-Terror Law Took the Lead in 2010

Anti-Terror Law Took the Lead in 2010

The BİA 2010 Annual Media Monitoring Report claims that 220 people, among them 104 journalists, were tried for the opinions they voiced in words and writing in 2010. Penalties handed down by the ECHR were on the rise as well as domestic convictions under the Anti-Terror Law. 30 journalists were in jail.

3 May 2011 Erol Önderoğlu