AI EX058/97 TURKEY Death threats

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EXTERNAL                                     AI Index: EUR 44/32/97
 
EXTRA 58/97     Death threats/Fear for safety       25 April 1997
 
TURKEY            Halil Cabir Karacadagli, trade unionist
 
Halil Cabir Karacadagli, President of the Diyarbakir Branch No.2 of
Tes-Is (Turkish Union of Energy, Water and Gas Workers) has
reportedly been the victim of police harassment and death threats
following his detention and torture.  He has repeatedly refused to
act as a police informer. Trade unionists in Diyarbakir have in the
past not only been imprisoned as prisoners of conscience for their
legitimate activities, but have also been victims of "disappearance"
and extrajudicial execution.
 
Halil Cabir Karacadagli was detained by three plainclothes policemen
on the evening of 9 November 1996 in the Dagkapi district of
Diyarbakir. For two and a half days the authorities would not
confirm his detention. For the previous two days he had been
followed by a Renault Toros car which waited near his house and then
followed him to his office. On the evening of his detention his car
was stopped by the Toros car and by a second car, a Sahin. Three
plainclothes policemen got out of each car, dragged him into the
Sahin and drove him to the Police Headquarters. After a short wait
outside he was first taken to the State Hospital where he received
a medical certificate stating that he was in good health. He was
then reportedly hooded by pulling his jacket over his head and taken
to an unknown destination. 
 
According to the account received by Amnesty International, there
he was forced to undress and taken to a toilet area where he was
hosed with pressurized ice-cold water. He was then handcuffed to a
door and left wet and freezing next to a fan. Later he was taken
back, hosed again with water, had his testicles squeezed and was
severely beaten. For the first four days between torture sessions
he was handcuffed to a cell door or left in the area where torture
took place and he could hear the screams of other detainees being
tortured. Radio music was played constantly at high volume. His
torture reportedly began every night at 11pm and lasted until the
morning.
 
The police attempted to intimidate Halil Cabir Karacadagli into
acting as a police informer. One officer told him, "We have already
killed 2000, you will be the 2001st." A gun was put to his head and
he was told, "We will blow your brains out of your head". He was
tortured particularly by squeezing of his testicles and being beaten
on his kidneys. Although he was blindfolded, he was able to keep
track of time by calls to prayer from the nearby mosque.
 
During his detention, Halil Cabir Karacadagli was forced to sign a
statement while still blindfolded. When he was brought before
Diyarbakir State Security Court on 22 November 1996, he discovered
that this statement included a confession to involvement with the
illegal PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party). He was committed to prison to
await trial, but was released at the first hearing in December. 
 
After his release Halil Cabir Karacadagli began to receive death
threats, and was therefore reluctant to register a formal complaint
about his torture. On 3 April 1997 he received telephone calls at
his home and at the office of the trade union, again proposing that
he should act as a police informer. When he refused, the anonymous
caller threatened to kill him. His lawyer has submitted a petition
to the State Prosecutor in Diyarbakir, asking that the threats be
investigated.
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
 
November 1996 was a time of intensive security activity in
Diyarbakir province. Several trade unionists were detained around
that time. In late November and in December there was a cluster of
at least 11 "disappearances" in the province of Diyarbakir and
several of those "disappeared" were subsequently found killed.
 
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/express/airmail
letters in English or your own language: 
 
- expressing concern about the reported death threats against Halil
Cabir Karacadagli, President of Tes-Is Branch No. 2 in Diyarbakir,
following his detention, alleged torture and his refusal to act as
police informer; 
 
- urging that these threats be investigated and that those
responsible be brought to justice.
 
APPEALS TO:
 
Chief Prosecutor's Office Diyarbakir:
 
Diyarbakir Bassavcisi             [Salutation: Dear Chief Prosecutor]
Bassavciligi
Diyarbakir, Turkey
Telegrams: Bassavciligi, Diyarbakir, Turkey
 
Emergency Legislation Governor:
 
Mr Necati Bilican                 [Salutation: Dear Governor]
Olaganustu Hal Valisi
Diyarbakir, Turkey
Telegrams: Olaganustu Hal Valisi, Diyarbakir, Turkey
Telex:     72110 OHVT TR 
           72084 DYVA TR  "please forward to the Governor"
           72090 JASY TR
 
Diyarbakir Chief of Police:
 
Mr Yavuz Elbirler                 [Salutation: Dear Sir]
Diyarbakir Emniyet Muduru
Diyarbakir, Turkey
Telegrams: Emniyet Muduru, Diyarbakir, Turkey
 
PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO:  His Excellency Mr Ozdem
Sanberk, Embassy of Turkey, 43 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PA
Email: turemlon at globalnet.co.uk
 
AND, IF POSSIBLE, TO THE FOLLOWING:
 
State Minister with responsibility for Human Rights:
 
Mr Lutfu Esengun
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, Turkey
Faxes: +90 312 417 0476
 
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Please do not send appeals after
30 May 1997.
 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
+ If you have any queries about this Urgent Action or about +
+ the UA scheme in general, please contact:                 +
+   Ray Mitchell                                            +
+   Amnesty International UK Section                        +
+   99 - 119 Rosebery Avenue                                +
+   London EC1R 4RE      email: rmitchel at amnesty.org.uk     +
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