From: Press Agency Ozgurluk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 21:17:42 +0100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: "[Ozgurluk.Org]" AP: British, U.S. rights activists detained in Turkey British, U.S. rights activists detained in Turkey January 27, 2001 Web posted at: 9:23 PM EST (0223 GMT) ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- Turkish police detained two human rights activists Saturday -- an American and a Briton -- as they tried to make a statement to reporters on conditions in Turkey's new prisons. Prisoners solidarity group Ozgur Tayad identified the activists as Juliette June Wales of the United States and Stephen Kaczynski of Britain. They are part of a five-member international delegation investigating prison conditions, but it was not clear which organization they represented. Their Turkish translator, Sibel Sahin, was also detained. A British consular official confirmed that Kaczynski had been detained and was carrying a British passport. Wales has both British and U.S. citizenship but came to Turkey with an American passport, the British official said. A U.S. consular official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that a U.S. citizen had been detained, but had not been charged. The official did not identify the citizen by name. Police refused to comment on the detentions. It is illegal in Turkey to make statements in public places without permission from authorities. Last month, the government transferred more than 1,000 inmates linked to outlawed political groups from large dormitory-style prison wars to one- or three-person cells. Fearing the smaller cells would make them vulnerable to torture and abuse at the hands of guards, the inmates staged hunger strikes. Authorities stormed prisons throughout Turkey last month in raids that left 30 prisoners and two soldiers dead. Some prisoners have continued their hunger strikes. Others say they have been beaten and tortured in the cells. Amnesty International and the New York-based Human Rights Watch have called for an independent investigation into the torture allegations, which the Turkish Justice Ministry denies. - Press Agency Ozgurluk In Support of the Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Struggle in Turkey http://www.ozgurluk.org _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
