Turkey: Police storms People's Lawyers Office in Ankara

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

HALKIN HUKUK BUEROSU
Tel-Fax: 0090.212.631.36.94 - 531.77.65 - 532.63.99
Millet Caddesi Dedepasa sokak 5/1
Findikzade/Aksaray

January 9, 1999
Istanbul / Turkey

To the Justice Department

regarding: The raid on the People's Lawyers Office in Ankara and the
arrest of the lawyer Zeki Ruezgar

The People's Lawyers Office in Ankara was raided on January 8, 1999
(yesterday), 4 p.m. The raid was ordered by the State Prosecutor of
the State Security Court, Nuh Mete Yueksel, who was accompanied by
members of the Political Police. The policemen who searched the office
afterwards went to the private apartment of the lawyer Zeki Ruezgar to
carry out a search there. Zeki Ruezgar was arrested and brought to
police headquarters. When Zeki Ruezgar's colleagues arrived and asked
state prosecutor Nuh Mete Yueksel for the reason of the search and the
arrest, they only got the following reply: "I'M THE REASON, COULD
THERE BE A BETTER ONE?" This answer clearly shows the conspiracy
against the People's Lawyers Office and lawyer Zeki Ruezgar, known for
his struggle for freedom. Nuh Mete Yueksel is no stranger to the
People's Lawyers Office in Ankara and lawyer Zeki Ruezgar. Ruezgar was
already arrested on orders of the same State Prosecutor on January 13,
1994, and held for 13 days in the DAL (Deep Research Laboratory) in
Ankara, a well-known torture centre. Contrary to the reply of Nuh Mete
Yueksel to questions of lawyers, regarding this case, "There is no
repression or torture whatsoever", lawyer Ruezgar was declared unable
to work for 7 days because of torture after he was released. For
years, lawyer Ruezgar has been suffering from a bone disease. He has
severe back problems he is under treatment for. Even the slightest
physical attack could lead to disablement. Nevertheless, the policemen
who arrested the lawyer yesterday clearly showed their attitude when
they told the gathering lawyers "Not to worry, lawyer Zeki Ruezgar is
still in good condition". According to the first conclusions of the
People's Lawyers Office, items belonging to the office like a
electrical typewriter and a large part of the trial files and other
defence material were confiscated by the police. While according to
the Defence Lawyers Law, and related decrees of the Justice Department
(including the decree of February 1994), lawyers - even when they
committed offences - have to be arrested by State Prosecutors
personally, lawyer Zeki Ruezgar is being held by the Political
Department of the Ankara police. Furthermore it is clear that there
are no valid serious reasons for the search of the lawyers office.
Lawyer Zeki Ruezgar is constantly harassed and threatened by the State
Security Court and the Ankara police. The so-called "investigation"
against the lawyers is nothing but an attempt of the state to get rid
of the People's Lawyers Office and lawyer Zeki Ruezgar who is seen as a
"permanent enemy". The way the investigation is conducted show its
real goal. It is claimed that the State Prosecutor of the State
Security Court and the Ankara police received information the there
was "a bomb or a weapon inside the People's Lawyers Office and that
there is considerable danger". It is clear that the "independence of
the defence" means nothing in our country when lawyers offices are
stormed like this and trial files and defence material are being
confiscated. This is a intimidation attempt. This is shown clearly by
the answer of state prosecutor Nuh Mete Yueksel, when asked by lawyers
for the reason of the search, "I'm the reason, could there be a better
one?". This answer shows the arbitrariness of the methods which are
being applied. 

The lawyer Zeki Ruezgar must be released immediately and if a
investigation is necessary, this must be conducted within a judicial
framework and led by the state prosecutor personally. We call upon you
to take steps that the confiscated trial files and other documents are
returned immediately. We wish you the best for your work. 

People's Lawyers Office


Good day, 

The following summing-up is to inform you about the State Prosecutor
of the Republic of the State Security Court, Nuh Mete Yueksel:

- Involved in the murder under torture of the student and Dev-Genc
sympathiser Birtan Altunbas, begin 1991. Removal of the torture
reports, stalling all complaints to this date, withholding the
post-mortem report of Birtan Altunbas to the lawyers.

- Organising a conspiracy, together with General State Prosecutor
Nusret Demiral, against the student and chairman of the Students
Association, Erol OEzbolat, in 1991. Forging documents in order to
continue the plot, threatening of witnesses and personally organising
the torture of Erol OEzbolat. 

- Arbitrary arrest of the lawyers Murat Demir and Bedii Yarayici, and
the journalist Deniz Teztel, in 1991. Prolonging police detention,
longer than foreseen by law, as well as personally leading the torture
of the lawyers. (This was confirmed and attested by 4 members of
parliament, members of the Human Rights Commission of the Turkish
Parliament, after which an inquiry was started against the state
prosecutor, without any result to this date)

- Threatening suspects who were in police detention and refused any
statement. Carrying out interrogations in the presence of, and in
co-operation with, torturing policemen.

- Threatening lawyers in political cases and attempts to deny them the
right of defence. 

Dozens of other crimes could be listed regarding Nuh Mete Yueksel but
we only wanted to name those who came to mind immediately. The lawyer
Zeki Ruezgar suffers from a very serious bone disease. Besides the fact
that his life is in danger in case of torture, there is the concrete
danger of paralysis. Zeki Ruezgar has been arrested and tortured on
orders of Nuh Mete Yueksel before. Looking at the information and the
development in this case, we call upon all the sensitive democratic
persons and institutions to see the necessity of immediate action for
the quickest possible release of Zeki Ruezgar. 

Lawyer Murat Demir

-------------------------------------------------
Amnesty International "Turkey Desk"
Jonathan Sugton

On January 8, 1999, 4 p.m., the People's Lawyers Office in Ankara was
stormed by the police. The raid was ordered by the State Prosecutor of
the State Security Court, Neh Mete Yueksel. The approximately 15
lawyers who arrived at the scene during the search were kept waiting
outside the office. Only lawyer Zeki Ruezgar was present during the
search. After the office rooms were searched, they went to the private
apartment of lawyer Zeki Ruezgar where the search was continued. In the
course of these searches, electronic equipment and office material
were being confiscated. Furthermore, several objects were confiscated
in the private apartment of the lawyer. Asked for the reason of the
raid against the office, the state prosecutor replied "I'm the
reason". This made clear that there is a conspiracy, organised by the
state prosecutor of the State Security Court and the police going on
against our friend who works for rights and freedom. Policemen told
lawyers in the vicinity "No to worry, Zeki Ruezgar is still in good
condition". They also showed the picture of the lawyer of the People's
Lawyers Office, Fuat Erdogan, murdered a few years ago, and remarked:
"We will do the same to him". While in case of an accusation, lawyer
Zeki Ruezgar may only be interrogated by the state prosecutor
personally, he was immediately handed over to the police. Lawyer Zeki
Ruezgar suffers from bone deterioration. Therefore even a minor
physical attack could lead to permanent bodily harm. Our colleague
Zeki Ruezgar was already almost beaten to death on January 13, 1994, in
the Ekin Cultural Centre where he was in the function of his work. His
hands and feet were chained and he was arrested although he informed
them he was a lawyer. He was brought to the Anti-Terror Department. At
that time too, it was state prosecutor of the State Security Court Nuh
Mete Yueksel who ordered the arrest and police detention of 13 days.
Lawyer Zeki Ruezgar was handed a statement that he was unable to work
for 7 days as a result of the torture he was submitted to while in
police custody.

Dear Mr. Sugton,
As you know, lawyer Zeki Ruezgar works in our office in Ankara and he
is a person who is active against the violations of law in Turkey.
These activities are the only reason for his arrest. The arrest, and
the way it was conducted, constitute a turning point regarding the
increasing attacks against those who act for rights and freedom.
Therefore we want  to ask your organisation to start an urgent
campaign for the release of Zeki Ruezgar. In any case, we will send you
any further details. We wish you good luck with your work,

HALKIN HUKUK BUEROSU

-- 
Press Agency Ozgurluk
For justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan!
Website: http://www.ozgurluk.org                          
mailto:ozgurluk at xs4all.nl / mailinglists: petidomo at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl
List info: english-request at ozgurluk.xs4all.nl