----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean Pestieau" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
People's Rights Watch Belgium Istanbul, December 30,
2000
PRESS COMMUNICATION
TURKEY, CONCERNING THE 'OPERATION' ON THE PRISONS ON DECEMBER 19th 2000
Human Rights Mission from 26-12-2000 /31-12-2000
organised by People's Rights Watch Belgium
(press-conference 3rd January 2001 Brussels)
After an intensive fact finding mission in Istanbul, Turkey, during five
days, the delegation tried to clear up about the events during the military
operation in 18 Turkish prisons on December 19th 2000 and the transport of
the prisoners to the F-type prisons (isolationcells). The delegation also
wanted to check the situation and the condition of the prisoners inside the
new prisons and of the prisoners who are in hospital.
Information was collected by different organisations, i.e. TAYAD
(organisation for solidarity with the families of prisoners), the human
rights organisation IHD, lawyers of the Bar of Istanbul and Ankara, a
member of the human rights commission of the Bar of Istanbul, the chamber
of Architects of Istanbul and the chamber of Medicines of Istanbul, members
of the comity's negotiating between the government and the prisoners, a
member of the Human Rights Comity of the Turkish Parliament.
Ex-prisoners who experienced the army operation of December 19th, (and who
in the mean time came free), families of the prisoners and their lawyers,
who had visited their relatives and clients after December 19th,
independently declare the following:
. On December 19th 2000 at 5.00 p.m., the military operation,
organised by the government, took place in 18 different prisons
simultaneously.
. The soldiers used fireguns (G3 weapons with war ammunition),
matraks (hardrubber or wooden bats), sticks with metal points and hooks,
tear- and other chemical gasweapons, flame-throwers, ....
. The prisoners resisted by building barricades with furniture
. The prisoners did not have any guns or other weapons
. The prisoners who were on hungerstrike and deathfast (hungerstrike
until the death), and their so called leaders, were the main target. The
soldiers killed some of them by bullets, other were set on fire by the
army.
. After the prisoners were captured they were tortured (i.e. kicking
with weapons, boots, ...).
. The prisoners were transported to the F-type prisons in a brutal,
humiliating and inhumane way (i.e. naked, urinating on their face, ...).
. Inside the new F-type prisons the physical and psychological
torture continues up till now
. 11 days after the operation there are still some missing prisoners
. The lawyers and doctors were impeded to fulfil their work: the
lawyers were impeded or refused to visit their clients and were subjected
to intimidating and humiliating treatments. It was not allowed by any
independent medical doctor to get access to the prisoners (wounded or not),
nor in the F-type prisons, nor in the hospitals
The use of the F-type prisons, and of the so called 'Operation', is a fact
and is not according to the promises of the Turkish government at the
European meeting in Nice, France, at the december 9 th, 2000 (postponing
the use of F-type prisons with 6 months)
Over 800 prisoners were already on hungerstrike before the operation took
place. More than 200 of them were in death-fast. Now all this over 800
prisoners decided to continue their hungerstrike in death-fast. An even
other prisoners who were not in hungerstrike accompanied them, so the total
amount of death-fast-resisters increased to over 1000. About 100
hungerstrikers are in a very critical situation and are expected to die
during the next days.
The delegation regrets that, despite the counselling by the Belgian
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Michel with his Turkish colleague Mr. Cem,
that the Turkish government refused all contact with our delegation and
refused to give us any permission to visit and examine the prisoners in the
new prisons and the hospitals. No gesture of co-operation was made to
facilitate the contacts between the delegation and different
representatives of the Turkish authorities.
These facts and data were collected to make a report, which will be
presented during a press-conference that will take placein the House of
Parliaments, Leuvensestraat 21, 1008 Brussels on January 3rd, 2001 at
noon (12 a.m)
If you want to receive the invitation to confirm this press-conference (and
the exact hour), send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or phone to:
+32-(0)486-219017 or +32-(0)-486-071901
On that press-conference will be given our conclusions and the evidence.
In the name of the delegation,
Manu Leclercq, lawyer at the Bar of Brussels, Chairman of People's Rights
Watch
Leen Laenens, Member of Parliament of Belgium. Agalev
Frieda Brepoels, Member of Parliament of Belgium., Volksunie
Isabelle Wirtz, lawyer at the Bar of Brussels
Geert Van Moorter, Medical Doctor
Anne van Mackelenbergh, Medical Doctor
Martijn Strooij, lawyer at the Bar of Amsterdam
For further information, please contact
People's Rights Watch
Louisastraat 112, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
+32-(0)486-219017 or +32-(0)-486-071901
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prw_press_30-12-00.doc
