Human Rights and the Will to be free

A Turkish man has staged an eight-hour silent vigil in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the scene of violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters in recent weeks, inspiring hundreds of others to follow his lead.

Erdem Gunduz said he wanted to take a stand against police stopping demonstrations near the square, the Dogan news agency reported.

He stood silently, facing the Ataturk Cultural Centre which was draped in Turkish flags and a portrait of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, from 6pm on Monday.

By 2am on Tuesday, when the police moved in, about 300 people had joined him. Ten people, who refused to be moved on by police, were detained.

Gunduz, swiftly dubbed "standing man" on social media in Turkey, inspired similar protests elsewhere in Istanbul, as well as in the capital, Ankara, and the city of Izmir on the Aegean coast.

The silent protests were in stark contrast to demonstrations at the weekend, which saw some of the fiercest clashes so far when police fired teargas and water cannons to clear thousands from Taksim Square.

What began in May as a protest by environmentalists upset over plans to build on a park adjoining Taksim Square has grown into a movement against the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, presenting the greatest public challenge to his 10-year leadership.

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At the beginning of the protests, the prime minister of Turkey accused the protesters as the “chapuller”. It is a wide used expression in Turkey’s daily life to describe someone roughly as looters. A usually negative term turned into a positive one and has been reapproriated by the protesters, who quickly identified themselves aschapuller. The term became a new funny, attractive meaning. Almost all kind of people from the top CEOs of biggest banks & companies, politicians, students, elderly, youth to the housewives, through all political colors labeled themselves  joyfully as “Chapuller” resp. as looters in a different association.

The accusation of Prime Minister caused the most creative, the funniest and most intelligent uprising the world has ever witnessed, and a type of new political activism.

Unable to handle such unexpected, surprising unorganized and unstructured protests, the Turkish Government and its members were literally lost. Events shifted to a nationwide uprising and solidarity with the defenders of Gezi Park at Taksim Square. The government mobilized thousands of security forces to crack down and failured. The attacks of police forces carried much more crowds in motion than ever before. The more attacks, the more waves of peaceful demonstrations have occurred.

Prime Minister Erdogan realized  too late that using force is absolutely useless and counterproductive....."

The whistleblower behind the biggest intelligence leak in NSA history answered your questions about the NSA surveillance revelations

Thousands of protesters have urged Bulgaria's Socialist-led government to resign during a rally in Sofia.

Police said on Sunday that about 15,000 people took part in a rally outside the government building in the capital Sofia to demand a new election. Protesters also gathered outside parliament and in other Bulgarian cities.

Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski's decision to appoint 32-year-old media mogul Delyan Peevski as chief of the powerful national security agency DANS and parliament's rapidity in rubber stamping the nomination angered many people.

Many waved Bulgarian flags and shouted "Mafia!", "Resign!", and "Red garbage!" in what amounted to the biggest rallies in the past three days.

Thousands poured into the streets in protest, sparking fears of a fresh political crisis, just months after anti-poverty demonstrations brought down the previous government.

President Rosen Plevneliev demanded an immediate review of the appointment and said he had lost confidence in the government.

Peevski offered to step down from the post on Saturday and Oresharski said he accepted the resignation.

But protesters were not appeased.

Protest organisers had called for a million-strong demonstration at Taksim Square, but the entire area was cordoned off, making access impossible. Stretches of the motorways encircling Istanbul were also closed by police to try to prevent protesters getting to the city centre.

The opposite conditions applied to government supporters making their way en masse to hear the prime minister. The Istanbul municipality and the AKP laid on buses and other transport to help boost the numbers attending.

Erdogan inveighed against the international media, blaming the BBC and CNN for distorting the drama of the past three weeks in what he repeatedly alleged was an international plot to divide and diminish Turkey.

"You will make your voice heard so anyone conspiring against Turkey will shiver," he told the crowd. "Turkey is not a country that international media can play games on."

He added that the Turkish nation "is not the one banging pots at nights", in reference to what has become a soundtrack to the protests: middle-aged people coming on to their apartment balconies nightly to hammer on kitchen utensils.

The same din was heard across several central Istanbul neighbourhoods on Sunday evening.

While Erdogan addressed the massive crowds in bright sunshine, much of the city was sullen and tense. In several districts middle-aged women kept up a steady racket by beating pots and pans from their balconies as riot police lounged around, sitting on pavement verges.

The police raids, which started on Saturday afternoon and quickly cleared and occupied Gezi Park, included acts of startling brutality that outraged normally apolitical Istanbul citizens, as well as human rights monitors.

Teargas was fired into impromptu medical clinics housed in tents. A luxury hotel on Taksim Square being used as an emergency refuge for victims and for the wounded was repeatedly invaded by the police and teargas fired into the enclosed spaces.

"It was horrible in there," said Mehmet Polat, 32. "They shot teargas inside the hotel several times, the gas rose up to the sixth floor of the hotel, everything was filled with white smoke."

Another young man next to him nodded. "People were shoving each other, panicking, but the police kept attacking us." Both were not giving up. "Our demands are very clear," Polat said. "And until they are met, we are not going anywhere."

In the early hours of Friday morning, the Turkish government pulled back from the brink. After making apocalyptic noises about a "final" confrontation with protesters who had occupied an Istanbul park, the prime minister suddenly offered talks.

Turkish protesters set up barricades in the streets and appeared to regroup at a bridge in Istanbul Sunday, hours after security forces uprooted them from their demonstration hub in a central Istanbul...

 

The protests began over the prime minister's plan to turn the park into a mall. They have evolved into anti-government demonstrations that have spread across the country.

Thousands in Ankara and Izmir also protested against the Erdogan's ruling AK Party on Saturday.

On Friday, the prime minister told protesters he would put redevelopment plans for the park on hold until a court rules on them, and hold a referendum if the court rules in the government's favor.

Turkish riot police stormed an Istanbul park at the heart of two weeks of protest against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, firing tear gas and water cannon and sending hundreds scurrying into surrounding streets.

Lines of police backed by armored vehicles sealed off Taksim Square in the center of the city as officers stormed the adjoining Gezi Park, where protesters had been living in a ramshackle tent camp.

Erdogan had warned hours earlier that security forces would clear the square, the center of more than two weeks of fierce anti-government protests that spread to cities across Turkey, unless the demonstrators withdrew before a ruling party rally in Istanbul on Sunday.

"We have our Istanbul rally tomorrow. I say it clearly: Taksim Square must be evacuated, otherwise this country's security forces know how to evacuate it," he told tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters at a rally in Ankara.

A main public-sector union confederation, KESK, which has some 240,000 members, said it would call a national strike for Monday, while a second union grouping said it was holding an emergency meeting to decide whether to join the action....

Hundreds of riot police used teargas and water cannons to storm theprotest camp at the centre of Turkey's anti-government unrest, following a warning by Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that protesters should quit Gezi Park or be removed by security forces.

Erdogan had delivered his warning at a rally of tens of thousands of supporters of his AKP party in Ankara, the national capital, promising that the square would be cleared by Sunday in time for a second rally there. "We have our Istanbul rally tomorrow," Erdogan warned. "I say it clearly: Taksim Square must be evacuated, otherwise this country's security forces know how to evacuate it."

Barely two hours later white-helmeted riot police assaulted Istanbul's Gezi Park shortly after a concert attended by protesters and tourists drew to a close. Protesters had vowed earlier to continue with their occupation, although they had promised to remove barricades and reduce the number of tents in the park. Police had given 15 minutes' notice to clear the park and the adjoining Taksim Square before storming the protest camp.

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Police intervention comes shortly after prime minister asked protesters to vacate Gezi Park by Sunday or face eviction......

Earlier on Saturday, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), called on the government to respect the decision taken by the sit-in protesters at Gezi Park to continue their action.

"The youths have taken the decision to go on with their sit-in protest. They have been discussing [to continue or not] for a while. We have to respect their decision as it is supposed to be in democracies," Kilicdaroglu, who met foreign media members at a hotel in Istanbul, said, stressing that in his opinion the sit-in action is legal.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki0moon said that deploying more weapons will not improve the situation in Syria, and that the use of chemical weapons in it hasn’t been proven by conclusive evidence, stressing the need for a field investigation into this matter.

In a press statement on Friday, Ki-moon said that there can be no discussions of the value of any information on the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria in the absence of an evidence database....

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) strongly denounce the politically motivated charges brought against human rights defenderMr.Mohammed Al-Maskati “president of the BYSHR”

The hearing will be held on June 19, 2013

On 17 October 2012, Mr.Al-Maskati, appeared before Bahrain’s public prosecution on charges of participating in illegal protests. A day prior, he had been summoned to Al Hoora police station, where he was kept overnight before being referred to the prosecutor’s office. Although he has since been released, the prosecution may raise his case again at any time, which we view as a clear form of intimidation against the activist.

It is important to note that during his participation and oral intervention in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Bahrain in Geneva, in the 21st session of the Human Rights Council Mr. Al-Maskati received continuous threats via anonymous phone calls due to his activism and participation at the Council ( http://byshr.org/?p=1178 ). He was threatened with death if “he smeared Bahrain’s reputation in Geneva” ...

Colleagues, heads and members of regional and international organisations that defend freedom of opinion and expression and human rights, my friends from the members of the IFEX network, activists and advocates, and leaders of civil society groups, 

Dear friends, the unknown soldiers, the managers, administrators and workers at the IFEX office in Canada, 

Warm greetings. 

It's saddening to be away from your important meeting for the second time and, as you know, this absence is out of my control. 

I was banned from travelling during the previous IFEX general meeting in 2011 without any given reason. My absence this time is because I have been behind bars for more than a year as I am serving an unfair and arbitrary sentence as revenge for my struggle and activities which aim to defend freedom of opinion and freedom of expression in my country Bahrain and in the whole of the Gulf region. 

I would like to inform you, my dear friends, that despite the bad and difficult circumstances I have been suffering from since my arrest, my beliefs have not changed at all and my spirit is still very strong. These circumstances have not weakened me or caused any despair or lack of hope. This injustice has motivated me to continue fighting for freedom of opinion and expression and for human rights, and to stand by all oppressed peoples whose rights have been violated, and to enable them to look forward to a better future. 

Dear colleagues, the dissemination and promotion and protection of human rights principles and moral values and virtues in our communities which live under oppression and injustice is not an easy job, but we must, as activists and human rights defenders in this region of the world, be prepared to pay the price of this struggle, and this price is often painful and it is the punishment I serve out today, which has kept me away from you and from this valuable meeting. 

What makes me strong, brave and respectful is the stance and support given by you and the free people of the world to me and to all people who are detained because of their opinions and human rights work in the Gulf region. It is because of the good feelings you have given us, which made clear that we as Bahraini and Gulf activists are not alone in the battle for gaining freedom. You are standing by us. 

The continuous urgent actions and the incredible work you have done through IFEX in recent months was brilliant and clear to all in our country and the whole region and also to regional and international human rights institutions. The fast professional development of the network (IFEX) would not have happened without these unknown soldiers who work tirelessly at IFEX's offices day and night. These people became like members of my family who communicate on a daily basis and the youngest of my children now knows the names of the staff and managers of IFEX as a result of this constant communication and the care that is shown. 

Certainly our network has a global position today, developing in a few years as one of the leaders of the major struggles in defending human rights and freedom of opinion and expression in the world. And so we feel proud when we tell people that we are members of IFEX which takes up the fight and has contributed to spreading human rights education and the awareness of freedom of opinion and expression in our Gulf region and also publicising and uncovering the ongoing violations against freedom of expression worldwide in different languages. Also, the network has offered professional, technical, moral and organisational support available to us at the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and also for many regional and international organisations which work on similar issues. 

I call on you to carry on with your work for a better future for our rights of freedom of opinion and expression and all human rights worldwide and especially in our region, towards which most countries turn a blind eye in order to protect their interests in the oil-rich region. 

Finally, I must lift my hat and bow my head in respect and appreciation for your struggle for rights and send a kiss and hug for each one of you. 

God bless you, 

Nabeel Rajab 
Jaw prison, Manama, Bahrain 
June 2013

Istanbul, Turkey - Former Noble Peace Prize nominee Ragip Zarakolu says he's been charged with crimes against the state more than 70 times in his life. But those experiences didn't prepare the Turkish publisher and journalist for his latest stint behind bars.

Zarakolu spent six months last year in a Turkish high-security prison on terrorism-related charges before being released pending trial in April. If convicted, he could spend up to 15 years in jail.

"There was no [physical] torture but without [a real] reason to be arrested, it was torture to be treated like a terrorist. Everyone is looking at you like you're a monster," Zarakolu told Al Jazeera from a café near his home in Istanbul.

Zarakolu was among hundreds of others across Turkey - including lawyers, politicians, students, activists and other journalists - accused of belonging to, or aiding, an illegal organisation: the Union of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), which the Turkish government views as the urban branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"This was the first time I went to a civilian prison and an anti-terror prison. It was a shock for me. It's unjust and there is no reason. My arrest was state terror," the 65-year-old said.....

Reports breaking on Twitter that Anonymous have today crashed a Chinese government site as part ofOperation Tibet. An image was posted on an anonymous hosting site earlier informing folks that http://www.jxfet.gov.cn has been disabled. Many thanks to our friends on Twitter for the heads-up on this latest action.

Police in Turkey are refusing to acknowledge that they have people in custody following mass detentions carried out during the night in Istanbul, Amnesty International said today.   

More than a hundred are believed to have been detained during Saturday night's demonstrations in the areas of Taksim, the main focus of the protests, and the nearby districts of Harbiye and Mecidiyekoy. The actual number is not known but is likely to be significantly higher.

The Istanbul Bar Association told Amnesty International that they knew of around 70 named individuals who were seen being detained by police but whose whereabouts still cannot be verified.  

"Following a night of shocking police violence, the authorities are now denying due process to those they have detained. The police must release them immediately or disclose their location and allow access to family members and lawyers," said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International's researcher on Turkey, who is currently in Istanbul.....

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Riot police fired occasional bursts of teargas in Istanbul on Sunday after a night of unrest to try to prevent anti-government demonstrators from regrouping ahead of a rally by Prime...

 

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A main public-sector union confederation, KESK, which has about 240,000 members, said it would call a national strike for Monday, while a second union grouping said it was holding an emergency meeting to decide whether to join the action.

"The police brutality aims at clearing the streets of Istanbul to make way for Erdogan's meeting," said Oguz Kaan Salici, Istanbul president of the main opposition People's Republican Party. "Yet it will backfire. People feel betrayed."

ISTANBUL — In a tear-gas-filled conclusion to two weeks of anti-government protests in Turkey, riot police on Saturday cleared a central Istanbul square and park that had formed the heart of a broad challenge to the 10-year rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The storming of Taksim Square and adjoining Gezi Park risked further inflaming opposition to Erdogan, with protesters who had complained that he had authoritarian tendencies saying Saturday that the leader had destroyed all chances for negotiation. Before the occupation was cleared, protesters had been discussing Saturday whether to stand down after Erdogan had offered concessions. On a warm Saturday night, crowds were unusually large in Gezi Park.....

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After over a decade of Mr. Erdogan and his religiously conservative Justice and Development Party in power, Turks have become accustomed to a micromanaging leadership style in which no matter is too small to merit the attention of the prime minister and even big foreign policy decisions pivot on the emotions and whims of one man.

¶“Over the last decade he’s become the sun around which all of Turkish politics revolves,” said Steven A. Cook, a Turkey expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. “The prime minister is surrounded by yes people who won’t make a decision without his approval.”...

BALOCHISTAN: Three more bullet-riddled bodies of Baloch missing persons were found in Balochistan on Wednesday(12 June 2013). Two of the bodies have identified whereas the identity of one the body ...

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Other than the problem of infrastructure, there are several corruption scandals which remain without trial, and the cases being judged have been tending to end with the acquittal of the defendants. The biggest corruption scandal in Brazilian history finally ended with the conviction of the defendants and now the government is trying to reverse the trial by using maneuvers through unbelievable constitutional amendments: one, the PEC 37, which will annihilate the investigative powers of the prosecutors of the public ministry (the Brazilian equivalent of the District Attorneys), delegating the responsibility of investigation entirely to the Federal Police. Moreover, another proposal seeks to subject decisions of the Brazilian Supreme Court to the Congress - a complete violation of the three powers.

 

Those are, in fact, the revolts of Brazilians.

 

The protests are not mere isolated, unionized movements or extreme left riots, as some of the Brazilian press says. It is not a teenage rebellion. It is the uprising of the most intellectualized portion of society who wants to put a stop to these Brazilian issues. The young national mid-class, which has always been unsatisfied with the political oblivion, has now "awaken" - in the words of the protesters....