From: IKM BELGiUM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 06:38:35 +0100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: "[Ozgurluk.Org]" HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATION IN TURKEY IKM-Belgium Committee against Torture through Isolation phone/fax: (+32) (0)2 230 08 66 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATION IN TURKEY ANNOUNCEMENT AND APPEAL TO PARTICIPATE IN HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATION IN TURKEY Cause: Force-feeding of political prisoners on hunger strike and Death Fast THE MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON DEATH FAST AND HUNGER STRIKE FOR OVER 140 DAYS ARE BEING TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITALS FOR FORCE-FEEDING. SEVERAL PRISONERS HAVE LOST THEIR MEMORY AS A RESULT OF THIS MEASURE THAT HAS BEEN FORCED ON THEM. THE BACKGROUND: Political prisoners in Turkey went on an Indefinite Hunger Strike on October 20, 2000 against being transferred into the newly built F-Type isolation prisons, against the inhuman conditions in the prisons and the growing repression against their families and against democratic institutions, against the Tripartite Protocol which virtually prohibits the right to a defence, and also to abolish the State Security Courts (DGMs) which are not considered to be legitimate courts by international bodies, and later the hunger strike was transformed into a Death Fast. Although the government in Turkey seemed to be giving way under the pressure of public opinion and talked of postponing the transfers to F-Type prisons, on December 19, the 61st day of the Death Fast, it carried out operations in all prisons in which 32 prisoners were killed by incendiary devices and gunshots. Hundreds of prisoners were wounded and their prisons completely destroyed and burned down. The badly wounded surviving prisoners who are still continuing their resistance in the form of Death Fasts and hunger strikes were immediately shipped to the F-Type prisons, and until a month ago were told that they would only receive medical treatment on condition that they ended the hunger strikes. Even after this, according to information from family members and lawyers, there are still prisoners who have bullets lodged in their bodies. The prisoners only have limited rights to receive visits from close relatives, their lawyers and after a lot of effort, doctors from the Medical Chamber, the latter to give medical check-ups. Shocked by the inhuman treatment of the prisoners in the F-Type Prisons and the force-feeding, relatives of the prisoners, lawyers, a platform of artists and intellectuals and various democratic initiatives have gone into action repeatedly to awaken public opinion to what is going on. On the other hand, the government, rather than giving in to the humane demands of the prisoners, is trying through threats of fines and legal proceedings to silence the entire democratic environment and everybody who speaks out against the F-Type prison isolation conditions and in favour of the prisoners' humane demands such as opposing force-feeding. Because of the force-feeding measures used against the prisoners, and the deliberate attempts to kill or cripple them by not accepting their just demands, we are sending another delegation of observers to Turkey and to provide European public opinion with more information on the existing conditions. We are directing this appeal once again to all sensitive human beings and human rights groups, politicians, lawyers, students and other professional groups, to accompany this delegation and contribute to improving the human rights situation. Accommodation in Turkey can be provided during the duration of the stay, but the travel cost to Turkey must be borne by the participants themselves. Departure can take place in a group from a place that will be determined later, but it is also possible for people to set off individually. All those interested will have the possibility of discussing the delegation with the organisers in various lands, for example at preparatory meetings before departure. We are also sending you the delegation programme for the period between March 26 and March 30, 2001, and wait for your response. With friendly greetings, IKM Committee For Struggle Against Torture Through Isolation Kreuzweg 12, 20099 Hamburg Tel & Fax: 0049-40-280 53 625 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.noisolation.de PROGRAMME OF THE DELEGATION FOR MARCH 26-30 2001: Monday, 26.3.2001 - HHB (People’s Law Bureau), talk with the lawyer Mr Behic - Talk at the Genel-Is/Trade Union for workers in public service in the framework of the DISK trade union federation, and visit to TAYAD families in the TAYAD office Tuesday, 27.3.2001 - Application for permission to visit the women’s prison in Kartal - Visit to Armutlu Neighbourhood (Istanbul) to see six Death Fasters, TAYAD families and a former prisoner - Conversation with the chairman of the IHD, Istanbul Wednesday, 28.3.2001 - Talk with representatives of the Medical Chamber/Istanbul - Talk with the lawyer Murat Celik, chairman of the Lawyers' Bar, Istanbul - Talk with Hasan Kivircik and Faruk Ecevit in the Architects' Chamber, Istanbul Thursday, 29.03.2001 - Visit to Kartal Women's Prison, if permission received earlier - Talk with representatives of the Association of Contemporary Lawyers - Talk with the Artists' Platform against the F-Type Prisons - Visit to newspaper offices and cultural institutions Friday, 30.03.2001 - Press conference and end of delegation
