An annual report on human rights violations in Turkey drafted by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Sezgin Tanrıkulu has revealed 5,361 incidents of torture or maltreatment in 2022, with 80 of those affected being minors, the TR724 news website reported.
The report by Tanrıkulu, a prominent human rights activist and deputy chair of a parliamentary committee on human rights, said the right to life of 2,397 individuals was violated last year in Turkey.
At least 327 women were also reportedly killed by men last year, most of them victims of domestic violence.
According to the report, 80 minors were among the 5,381 people who were subjected to mistreatment in Turkey last year, including 1,280 incidents of torture or maltreatment taking place behind bars.
Turkish police intervened in 544 demonstrations, public press statements and assemblies in 2022, detaining at least 5,789 people. A total of 117 people were convicted in cases related to those activities.
The report also covered violations of press freedom, saying two journalists were killed, 94 journalists were detained and 52 were convicted last year, while investigations were launched into 46 journalists. Access to 2,283 URLs was blocked during the year.
Regarding violations of freedom of speech, the MP’s annual report showed that 311 people were detained and 69 were convicted in 2022 for expressing views critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
At least 1,843 workers died in occupational accidents in 2022, the report said.
According to the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG), 30,546 deaths in work-related accidents have taken place since the AKP came to power in November 2002.
İSİG General Coordinator Murat Çakır said the reason for the record number of fatalities in work-related accidents has to do with the policies of the AKP, which he said aim to turn Turkey into a source of cheap labor for Europe.
