> > Activist Mailing List - http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/ > > Prison struggle in Turkey: How to mask a murder attempt... > > The police lie when they they say "he wanted to commit suicide", > because they want to present a murder attempt as a suicide attempt > > My name is Riza Poyraz. I am the one who according to the statement > published by the Istanbul Police Headquarters in the newspapers and > television, "in an attempt to commit suicide, jumped" from the fourth > floor of the Police Headquarters on Vatan Avenue. THIS STATEMENT BY > THE ISTANBUL POLICE HEADQUARTERS IS A COMPLETE LIE! During my > detention in the Istanbul Police Headquarters I was thrown from the > window by policemen who were trying to murder me. The Istanbul police > want to cover up their guilt by announcing that this incident, which > became known to the public, was a suicide attempt. THE ISTANBUL POLICE > HEADQUARTERS IS LYING! I DID NOT JUMP FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE > POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN VATAN AVENUE "TO KILL MYSELF", I WAS PERSONALLY > THROWN BY THE TORTURERS FROM THE WINDOW ON THE FOURTH FLOOR... The > fact that I am still alive is pure good fortune. If I had been killed > I would not be able to make this declaration. I see it as a human > obligation to expose the guilty parties and bring about their > punishment by exposing the truth, and I believe that public > sensitivity can be created thereby to prevent future incidents like > this from happening. > > On Monday, December 21, 1998, I was arrested as a "suspicious" person > by the police in Pangalti. They asked to see my identity card. I gave > it to them. Although my address, identity and work place are known, I > was brought to Mecidiyek=F6y police station. Here I was held, illegally > and arbitrarily, despite giving my home address and work place. I live > with my family in the Gazi Neighbourhood (translator's note: a large > slum area on the northern edge of Istanbul, the scene of a people's > uprising triggered off by a fascist attack in March 1995), and Zeynep > Poyraz who was murdered by the police during the massacre in Gazi is > the daughter of my uncle. This must be where my "guilt" lies. After a > while I was brought to the Police Headquarters in Istanbul. From my > first moment in the Police Headquarters I experienced everything: I > was cursed, insulted, subject to repression, torture and threats... > > I was arrested on suspicion, but I did not know why I had been > arrested, nor what their plans were for arresting me. The next day, > December 22, things began to be clearer. The police must have been in > need of a new success because they tried to implicate me in actions > whose perpetrators had not been identified. They also wanted me to > confess to carrying out an action and to tell them about it. I cannot > confess to an action or talk about an action when I did not do it nor > have anything to do with it. I said I had nothing to do with it. I > could not understand why these accusations were made, for which there > was no proof, and this is what I told them. But they persisted in > trying to get me to confess. To do this they practised every kind of > physical and psychological torture. On several occasions I was > suspended by the arms, and torture methods were used on me like > crushing my testicles, spraying me with high pressure water, shoving > my head in a bucket of water to drown me, obscenities, humiliation and > beating. Besides, they told me that they had smeared excrement on me, > even though I could not see it because my eyes were tied. During the > torture my eyes and arms were bound . Despite the torture, I did not > confess to the "accusations". At this point they began to threaten > that they would kill my family. Quite openly they threatened to kill > me. At one point they said to me: "YOU WILL CONFESS, IF NOT WE WILL > THROW YOU FROM THE WINDOW AND STATE LATER ON THAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED > SUICIDE. NOBODY WILL CALL US TO ACCOUNT FOR IT." At the close of > torture which had lasted an entire day, about midnight I was brought > out of the torture chamber, with my eyes blindfolded. They took me > somewhere and said, "You're just about to experience something." I > felt I was being brought to a window. The window was open. They took > off the blindfold and said: "CONFESS OR WE'LL THROW YOU OUT." > Immediately afterwards they put the blindfold back on and threw me out > of the fourth floor. > > When I came round the next day and opened my eyes, I noticed I was in > hospital. My legs were broken and I hurt all over. Despite this the > police ruthlessness continued. "Listen, you won't get off so easily. > You will confess to the actions we have mentioned. Even if you get out > of here you will not be able to save yourself. Do you think you will > survive if you fall from the 10th floor?" They continued their threats > with these words. I was brought into the Gureba Foundation Hospital. > The doctor in the emergency ward, who was human only in external > appearance and on whose identity disc I read the name M. AYANOGLU, did > not behave differently from the torturers in any way. Dr. M. AYANOGLU > tried in every way to ingratiate himself with the police. While the > police claimed with sickening smirks that I was the "terrorist who > bombed the justice building and fell while trying to escape", Dr. M. > AYANOGLU said: "Actually, how is it possible that this low creature is > not dead? That means he did not fall properly. People like that should > not be treated, they should be left to croak. It is a pity if the > state puts itself to expense by looking after the health of people > like that." > > While being hanged during torture my arms and shoulders had become > blue and were still numb. Because of torture my testicles have become > inflamed and I have a burning sensation when I pass urine. On my head > and the back of my neck there are swellings which result from blows. > Because of the torture and the fall from the window I suffer from > severe headaches. Both feet are broken. Despite this, which needs > treatment, I have not been given any medical treatment. Even here, the > police continued torture. My feet were encased in plaster. The police > who kept an eye on me said: "Up to now, nobody has made it through the > police station." They constantly stuck a pencil into the plaster on my > feet and between my toes. They applied lit cigarettes to my fingers. > They thought that they would make it easier to get me to sign the > falsehoods in the protocol at the police station. They took pains to > get me discharged from the hospital as quickly as possible and I was > taken back to the torture centre. > > The torture continued from my condemnation by the State Security Court > to my being sent to prison. Today I am a prisoner in =DCmraniye prison. > Besides my completely unjustifiable imprisonment I have been tortured > and an attempt made to murder me. > > I declare that the police are indeed murderers. The police are > torturers. The police have tried to murder and then disseminated the > lie that "he wanted to commit suicide." I am lucky to still be alive - > that is the truth. If I was not, I would not be able to make the > truth public. Assessing the truth and creating an appropriate > sensitivity among the public, democratic organisations and > institutions is a requirement of being human and being just. > > January 2, 1999 > > RIZA POYRAZ > Umraniye Prison =20 > > _____________________________________________________ > * The Activist * > http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian
Activist Mailing List - http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/ Prison struggle in Turkey: How to mask a murder attempt... The police lie when they they say "he wanted to commit suicide", because they want to present a murder attempt as a suicide attempt My name is Riza Poyraz. I am the one who according to the statement published by the Istanbul Police Headquarters in the newspapers and television, "in an attempt to commit suicide, jumped" from the fourth floor of the Police Headquarters on Vatan Avenue. THIS STATEMENT BY THE ISTANBUL POLICE HEADQUARTERS IS A COMPLETE LIE! During my detention in the Istanbul Police Headquarters I was thrown from the window by policemen who were trying to murder me. The Istanbul police want to cover up their guilt by announcing that this incident, which became known to the public, was a suicide attempt. THE ISTANBUL POLICE HEADQUARTERS IS LYING! I DID NOT JUMP FROM THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN VATAN AVENUE "TO KILL MYSELF", I WAS PERSONALLY THROWN BY THE TORTURERS FROM THE WINDOW ON THE FOURTH FLOOR... The fact that I am still alive is pure good fortune. If I had been killed I would not be able to make this declaration. I see it as a human obligation to expose the guilty parties and bring about their punishment by exposing the truth, and I believe that public sensitivity can be created thereby to prevent future incidents like this from happening. On Monday, December 21, 1998, I was arrested as a "suspicious" person by the police in Pangalti. They asked to see my identity card. I gave it to them. Although my address, identity and work place are known, I was brought to Mecidiyek=F6y police station. Here I was held, illegally and arbitrarily, despite giving my home address and work place. I live with my family in the Gazi Neighbourhood (translator's note: a large slum area on the northern edge of Istanbul, the scene of a people's uprising triggered off by a fascist attack in March 1995), and Zeynep Poyraz who was murdered by the police during the massacre in Gazi is the daughter of my uncle. This must be where my "guilt" lies. After a while I was brought to the Police Headquarters in Istanbul. From my first moment in the Police Headquarters I experienced everything: I was cursed, insulted, subject to repression, torture and threats... I was arrested on suspicion, but I did not know why I had been arrested, nor what their plans were for arresting me. The next day, December 22, things began to be clearer. The police must have been in need of a new success because they tried to implicate me in actions whose perpetrators had not been identified. They also wanted me to confess to carrying out an action and to tell them about it. I cannot confess to an action or talk about an action when I did not do it nor have anything to do with it. I said I had nothing to do with it. I could not understand why these accusations were made, for which there was no proof, and this is what I told them. But they persisted in trying to get me to confess. To do this they practised every kind of physical and psychological torture. On several occasions I was suspended by the arms, and torture methods were used on me like crushing my testicles, spraying me with high pressure water, shoving my head in a bucket of water to drown me, obscenities, humiliation and beating. Besides, they told me that they had smeared excrement on me, even though I could not see it because my eyes were tied. During the torture my eyes and arms were bound . Despite the torture, I did not confess to the "accusations". At this point they began to threaten that they would kill my family. Quite openly they threatened to kill me. At one point they said to me: "YOU WILL CONFESS, IF NOT WE WILL THROW YOU FROM THE WINDOW AND STATE LATER ON THAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE. NOBODY WILL CALL US TO ACCOUNT FOR IT." At the close of torture which had lasted an entire day, about midnight I was brought out of the torture chamber, with my eyes blindfolded. They took me somewhere and said, "You're just about to experience something." I felt I was being brought to a window. The window was open. They took off the blindfold and said: "CONFESS OR WE'LL THROW YOU OUT." Immediately afterwards they put the blindfold back on and threw me out of the fourth floor. When I came round the next day and opened my eyes, I noticed I was in hospital. My legs were broken and I hurt all over. Despite this the police ruthlessness continued. "Listen, you won't get off so easily. You will confess to the actions we have mentioned. Even if you get out of here you will not be able to save yourself. Do you think you will survive if you fall from the 10th floor?" They continued their threats with these words. I was brought into the Gureba Foundation Hospital. The doctor in the emergency ward, who was human only in external appearance and on whose identity disc I read the name M. AYANOGLU, did not behave differently from the torturers in any way. Dr. M. AYANOGLU tried in every way to ingratiate himself with the police. While the police claimed with sickening smirks that I was the "terrorist who bombed the justice building and fell while trying to escape", Dr. M. AYANOGLU said: "Actually, how is it possible that this low creature is not dead? That means he did not fall properly. People like that should not be treated, they should be left to croak. It is a pity if the state puts itself to expense by looking after the health of people like that." While being hanged during torture my arms and shoulders had become blue and were still numb. Because of torture my testicles have become inflamed and I have a burning sensation when I pass urine. On my head and the back of my neck there are swellings which result from blows. Because of the torture and the fall from the window I suffer from severe headaches. Both feet are broken. Despite this, which needs treatment, I have not been given any medical treatment. Even here, the police continued torture. My feet were encased in plaster. The police who kept an eye on me said: "Up to now, nobody has made it through the police station." They constantly stuck a pencil into the plaster on my feet and between my toes. They applied lit cigarettes to my fingers. They thought that they would make it easier to get me to sign the falsehoods in the protocol at the police station. They took pains to get me discharged from the hospital as quickly as possible and I was taken back to the torture centre. The torture continued from my condemnation by the State Security Court to my being sent to prison. Today I am a prisoner in =DCmraniye prison. Besides my completely unjustifiable imprisonment I have been tortured and an attempt made to murder me. I declare that the police are indeed murderers. The police are torturers. The police have tried to murder and then disseminated the lie that "he wanted to commit suicide." I am lucky to still be alive - that is the truth. If I was not, I would not be able to make the truth public. Assessing the truth and creating an appropriate sensitivity among the public, democratic organisations and institutions is a requirement of being human and being just. January 2, 1999 RIZA POYRAZ Umraniye Prison =20 _____________________________________________________ * The Activist * http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian =20 This is not about the world that we inherited from our forefathers, It is about the world we have borrowed from our children !! _____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/ ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
