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"Undeclared coup in Southeast Turkey" say
activists
10.4.2006
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According to the IHD
Diyarbakir Report, 563 people were placed under
custody in the city between 28 March and 3 April and
all of them, including children, were tortured and
subjected to inhuman treatment. Mistreatment
continued on the streets too.
DIYARBAKIR, Kurdistan-Turkey April 10, --
Rights activists were subjected to pressure and
degrading treatment, all of those placed under
custody were either tortured or subjected to inhuman
treatment says Diyarbakir branch of the Human Rights
Association (IHD)in its report on the violent
incidents, which swept southeast in the 28 March-3
April week.
IHD Deputy Chairman Reyhan Yalcindag told Bianet
that almost all applicants related to torture had
medical reports showing they were subjected to
torture and mistreatment, and that a criminal
complaint had been made together with rights
advocates on the oppression.
"There are too many arrest particularly in the
townships. It is almost as if no one's left. There
is an undeclared coup situation here," Yalcindag
noted.
According to applications made to the IHD and the
Diyarbakir Bar Association, 563 people have been
detained in Diyarbakir and 200 of these are
children. 382 people of which 91 are children have
been arrested. On an appeal made against the
arrests, 34 children aged under 15 were released.
"Torture and mistreatment not only in detention"
The IHD report states that "all of those detained
have been subjected to torture, inhuman and
degrading treatment."
The Association noted that according to the accounts
of those who were injured, the treatment was not
limited only to those under detention but also to
"people walking on the streets, as well as those
present during raids conducted on houses who were
subjected to physical blows and torture."
A witness statement from a 14 year old child placed
under custody is as follows:
"When I was being detained, approximately 15
policemen attacked me with their truncheons; my
right arm was broken and in that condition they
dragged me for about 100 metres on the ground. Later
on, they took me to the sports hall at the Security
Directorate. Over there, through force and torture,
I signed many documents whose contents I do not
know. The night I was placed under custody, they
took me to the State Hospital at about 21:30 because
my arm was broken. Time over time I was beaten with
truncheons; they denied us access to the toilets;
they continuously subjected us to degrading
treatment such as "get up - sit down". At 03:00 in
the morning they were saying go to sleep and at
05:00 they were making me wake up and beating me
with truncheons.
They were pulling my hair too. Even though H.K. who
was detained with me had a broken arm, he was
subjected to electricity torture at the Baglar
Police Station. While being taken to the Juctice
Hall and the hospital, before getting in the
vehicle, they were beating my feet with the
truncheons. Every 12 hours they were giving half a
loaf of bread and water. They were constantly
swearing and insulting, and they were constantly
making me listen to the national anthem. They also
hit me in the stomach when taking me to the Justice
Hall. I informed the Prosecutor of all of this
treatment."
Report includes witness statement of lawyer from
the Diyarbakir Bar Association:
"All of the children had been beaten and sworn at.
In their complaints they stated that although there
were cushions where they were held, they were made
to lie down on concrete floor and that they were
given two meals a day. Some stated that at the Carsi
Police Station they were made to strip off their
clothing, had cold water poured over their bodies
and were beaten. Furthermore, just when I was
leaving, gun shots and explosions could be heard.
There were approximately 200-220 official and
plainclothes policemen at the compound entrance and
its courtyard. Suddenly they all started to move and
I heard this crowd of people in the garden start
shouting "...kill all of them! Don't come back
without killing them!"
Rights activists face pressure
The report contains information that the attorneys
sent to detention centres as compulsory defense
lawyers were subjected to physical and verbal
violence.
The Association says that in Kiziltepe, Mardin, IHD
Mardin Branch Chairman and Attorney Huseyin Cangir
and Branch Secretary Attorney Erdal Kuzu, together
with other attorneys and IHD administrators, were
subjected to physical and psychological violence by
the First Lieutenant Military Doctor on duty at the
Kiziltepe Infantry Regiment Command on 2 April 2006.
The report also establishes that rights advocated in
Batman were subjected to violence and pressures:
"Although being an observer of the incidents, IHD
Batman Branch Secretary Abdullah Baytar was
violently hit by the police.
Again, even though IHD Batman branch member Mursel
Kayar and Supervisory Board member Resit Yaray
stated they were on the scene as observers, they
were beaten and detained, then arrested and placed
in prison."
The report also attracts attention to the arrest of
political party and union members in the days
following the incidents:
"As of mid-day of 4 April, Democratic Society Party
Provincial Administrators Musa Farisogullari, Necdet
Atalay, Nusret Atliu and Muhlis Altun as well as
Diyarbakir Democracy Platform Term Speaker and Tes-Is
Number 1 Branch Chairman Aliu Oncu and Tum-Bel Union
Diyarbakir Branch Chairman Edip Yasar were placed
under custody and taken to the Counter-Terrorism
Branch. On 5 April, following a 12 hour
interrogation at the Prosecution and Examining Judge
stage, they were arrested at around 22:00 and
transferred to the Diyarbakir D Type Prison. (TK/II/YE)
www.bianet.org
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