Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Jan 26 2007
İHD issues complaint on restrictions
Human Rights Association (İHD) handed a letter to UN human
rights activist Special Raporteur Hina Jilani to complain about the
situation of human rights activists in Turkey.
The letter said that in Turkey human rights activists are faced with
judicial harassment and threats. "On one hand human rights activists
are facing judicial charges for their statements and actions, on the
other hand the threats and provoked violence against them are not
punished," the letter says.
They said that the conditions which led to the assassination of Hrant
Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist and human rights activist,
underlies the importance and immediacy of the situation. The letter
reminded the UN that Turkey is a signatory to the Charter on Human
Right and Freedoms, but is not fulfilling the requirements of the
charter.
The letter also includes all the legal charges against the İHD
members. To deliver the letter to the UN in Ankara, the HRA members
walked, wearing white shirts, in front of the İHD headquarters
and continued their demonstration on motor vehicles.