AI: Turkey bulletin

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

------------ Forwarded from : Ray Mitchell <rmitchellai at gn.apc.org> ------------

+------------------------------------------------------+
+     AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION BULLETIN     +
+     Electronic distribution authorised               +
+     This bulletin expires: 8 December 1995.          +
+------------------------------------------------------+

EXTERNAL                                            AI Index: EUR 44/127/95

EXTRA 136/95            Fear of Torture                     8 November 1995

TURKEY            Necmiye Aslanoglu (f), aged 24, journalist with weekly
                                                            Ozgur Halk
                  Metin Acet, aged 24, journalist with daily Ozgur Politika
                  Nuran Tekdag (f), aged 25, journalist with =D6zg=FCr Halk


On 3 November 1995, the three Kurdish journalists named above were stopped
at a roadblock as they were going to Batman, reportedly to visit a friend.
They were taken into detention, and are now believed to be in Batman Police
Headquarters, where it is feared they are being interrogated under torture.

One of the three, Necmiye Aslanoglu, has been detained four times before.
The first time, in December 1993, she was held for 13 days during which,
she claimed, she was subjected to all kinds of torture.  At the time, she
was working for the Kurdish-owned daily newspaper Ozgur Gundem which ceased
publication in 1994. Most recently she was detained in April 1995 and
subsequently tried on charges of support of the Kurdish Workers' Party
(PKK).  On 3 October she was released by Diyarbakir State Security Court.
Necmiye Aslanoglu was allegedly threatened while in prison, and there were
also reportedly threats that she would be killed if released by the court.

It is not known whether the authorities have acknowledged the detention of
the three journalists.  They may be held incommunicado for a maximum of 30
days under Emergency Legislation, currently in force in Batman province.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Kurdish-owned newspaper Ozgur Gundem (Free Agenda) and its successors
Ozgur Ulke (Free Land) and Yeni Politika (New Policy) consistently reported
human rights violations carried out in the southeast.  Each paper was
forced to cease operating either by official closure or threat of official
closure. Seven correspondents and 11 people distributing and selling these
newspapers were murdered under circumstances suggesting security forces
involvement, and two staff journalists "disappeared".  Scores of their
editors and other staff were detained and tortured. Many of them are still
in prison and on trial or awaiting trial.

People suspected of offences under the Anti-Terror Law can be held in
police custody without access to family, friends or legal counsel for up to
30 days in the 10 provinces under State of Emergency in the southeast and
for 15 days in the rest of Turkey. When not being interrogated, detainees
are held in cramped, airless and insanitary conditions. With no access to
the outside world they are at the mercy of their interrogators. Torture
methods include being stripped naked and blindfolded, hosing with
pressurized ice-cold water, hanging by the arms or wrists bound behind the
victim's back, electric shocks, beating the soles of the feet, death
threats and sexual assault.

Any person suspected of supporting the PKK or any other illegal armed
organization is at serious risk of torture, "disappearance" or
extrajudicial execution. In 1994 there were more than 55 confirmed
"disappearances", and more than 400 people were killed in unclarified
circumstances. At least 20 cases of "disappearance" in police custody have
been reported in 1995 so far.

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
+ Supporters of Amnesty International around the world are  +
+ writing urgent appeals in response to the concerns        +
+ described above. If you would like to join with them in   +
+ this action or have any queries about the Urgent Action   +
+ network or Amnesty International in general, please       +
+ contact one of the following:                             +
+                                                           +
+      Ray Mitchell, rmitchellai at gn.apc.org (UK)            +
+      Scott Harrison, sharrison at igc.apc.org (USA)          +
+      Guido Gabriel, ggabriel at amnesty.cl.sub.de (Germany)  +
+      Marilyn McKim, aito at web.apc.org (Canada)             +
+      Michel Ehrlich, mehrlich at aibf.be (Belgium)           +
+-----------------------------------------------------------+




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