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415 people tortured, 17 abducted in Turkey in 2021: report

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Four hundred fifteen people were tortured in prisons and detention centers in Turkey and 17 were abducted in the first 11 months of 2021, according to a report released by the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) and the Human Rights Association (İHD).

According to TİHV data, 3,540 people, including 28 minors, were also subjected to ill-treatment as a result of security force intervention in peaceful protests and gatherings this year, while the İHD data showed the same figure to be 3,671.

Among the 17 people who were abducted in 2021, 16 were released on the same day while one was released after five days, the report said, adding that 11 of them were subjected to torture or ill-treatment.

The human rights report pointed out the disappearance of Yusuf Bilge Tunç in broad daylight on August 8, 2019, saying he has not been heard from since.

Tunç’s family has consistently complained about the lack of cooperation from officials to find him after his wife unearthed details indicating that Tunç had been abducted.

According to the report, at least 22 people died behind bars due to negligence, suicide, illness or violence, and 290 women died as a result of domestic violence in the first 11 months of 2021, while 1,853 workers were killed in workplace accidents in Turkey in the first 10 months of the year.

A total of 119 people, including 36 security officers, 80 militants and three civilians, died in armed conflict in the country this year, and security forces killed nine people in raids and by firing arbitrarily into a crowd on the pretext that they did not obey an order to stop, the report also showed.

Six people, including four children, were killed in accidents involving armored security vehicles in the country; nine people died as a result of racist or hate attacks; and 55.961 people, including 180 healthcare workers, died of COVID-19 in 2021, the organizations noted.

The report further showed that investigations were launched into 36 members of the press, 45 journalists were detained and two were arrested this year, with 59 currently behind bars.

Turkish courts blocked access to at least 945 online news articles and 53 websites belonging to seven media outlets, at least 41 social media posts and five social media accounts, the organizations further stated.

Out of 14 people, including one minor, who were detained for insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2021, seven were arrested while one was placed under judicial supervision.

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