----- Original Message ----- From: "STEVE KACZYNSKI" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > (Note: I and Juliette Wales were deported from Turkey back to Britain on the > 28th. Sibel Sahin was released later on the 27th. The delegation was larger > than five earlier in the week (though not as large as hoped), but a number > of participants from Greece had returned home by Saturday. You are welcome > to forward the report below if you have not already done so. I am preparing > a much longer report on the delegation and the detentions. Steve Kaczynski.) > > 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. > > > > _________________________________________________________________________
