BIA, Turkey
Feb 17 2008
FIDH: `Turkey Must End Impunity of Political Violence
‘Following a mission in Turkey on the occasion of the third hearing
of the Hrant Dink murder trial, the FIDH published a report on 13
February, calling for action on human rights.
FIDH
17-02-2008
The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
undertook a mission in Istanbul from February 9 to 11, 2008, on the
occasion of the third hearing of the Hrant Dink murder trial.
Hrant Dink, the founder and editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian
weekly Agos newspaper, was shot dead in front of his office on 19
January 2007. This mission was deployed in follow-up to FIDH’s
mobilisation alongside Hrant Dink’s family and lawyers, and in
support of their struggle for justice.
Following the third hearing, FIDH welcomes the filming of the
proceedings, as transparency is an essential element to guarantee the
fairness of the procedure. Nevertheless, FIDH Secretary General
Florence Bellivier has called on the Turkish authorities « to ensure
full access to the documents related to the case to the lawyers of
Dink’s family, in particular the results of the investigation into
the behaviour of State security agents ».
Satisfaction at Ergenekon operation, and Malatya and Santoro trials
Meanwhile, FIDH has expressed its satisfaction following the arrest,
on January 22nd, and the opening of a judicial investigation against
a group of ultra-nationalist individuals said to be members of the
illegal paramilitary group Ergenekon. Among them is Veli Kücük, a
retired general of the Turkish army.
Without prejudice to the results of the investigation, FIDH welcomes
the opening of proceedings against individuals whose names have
appeared repeatedly in a number of cases of political violence,
notably the murder of Hrant Dink, the massacre of a Christian pastor
and two of his practitioners in Malatya on April 18th 2007, and the
killing of a Catholic priest on February 4th 2006 in Trabzon.
`FIDH hopes that these investigations will enable the determination
of higher levels of responsibility in the instigation of these
crimes, and break the cycle of political violence,’ said Secretary
General Florence Bellivier.
Beyond the trial, the mission was an opportunity to discuss several
of the main human rights violations that Turkey is facing today. In
this respect, FIDH wishes to highlight the following:
The Kurdish Question
FIDH and its Turkish member organisation, the Human Rights
Association (IHD), express their deep concern about continuing human
rights violations in the South-Eastern provinces. The organisations
are particularly concerned with the bombing of civilian areas, in
violation of fundamental principles of international human rights and
humanitarian law. The organisations repeat their call to the
authorities for a political and peaceful settlement of the Kurdish
question, and urge the government to open talks with Kurdish
organisations and civil society in this respect.
Freedom of opinion and expression.
FIDH has repeated its call for the abolition of Article 301 of the
Penal Code. Freedom of expression should not be criminalised and
Turkey should conform with the recommendations addressed by all UN
special rapporteurs and treaty bodies in this respect. Newspapers
such as Free-Agenda (Özgür Gündem), documenting the situation of
Kurdish or other minorities as well as the consequences of the
conflict in the South-East, should be able to publish their stories.
Situation of human rights defenders
FIDH is worried about the continuous harassment of human rights
defenders, intellectuals and journalists who promote human rights. As
documented by the Observatory for the protection of human rights
defenders (FIDH-OMCT), Ethem Acikalin, the Chair of IHD’s section in
Adana, as well as the former chair and an administrator of the Ankara
section remain under arbitrary detention. FIDH calls for their
immediate release.
FIDH further remains concerned about the judicial harassment against
the Vice-President of the IHD, Reyhan Yalcindag, the pending court
case to close down the Mersin section of IHD in southern Turkey, as
well as about the prosecution of members of the National Commission
on Human Rights, Professors Ibrahim Kaboglu and Baskin Oran, for
having published a report on minorities in Turkey. FIDH calls for the
suspension of all charges in these trials.
Counter-terrorism and human rights, use of torture
FIDH is finally worried about information reported by another Turkish
member organisation, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV), on
the broad and vague definition of the acts defined under the
Anti-terror Act, in violation of the principle of legality of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The organisations further deplore the continuous use of torture with
impunity and the light sentences resulting from the few
condemnations. They call upon the Turkish authorities to comply with
the recommendations of the UN Independent Expert on counter-terrorism
and human rights, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
(FIDH/AG)