Kamil Pasha

Arguing that the right to life of citizens is under attack in the provinces of Van, Hakkari and Yüksekova, the Diyarbakir branch of the Association of Human Rights (IHD) announced the results of their latest report on violations of human rights in the Southeast in a recent press conference:

Over the last four months 242 women in the region have been subjected to sexual abuse and rape, and 12 were murdered.

2,594 persons were taken into custody as a result of demonstrations.

347 people taken into custody were subjected to ill treatment and torture.

The bodies of eight members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were not handed over to their families.

for article, click here

This fits with the latest 2008 Amnesty International Report on Turkey, which states, among other things:

In the wake of increased political uncertainty and army interventions, nationalist sentiment and violence increased. Freedom of expression continued to be restricted. Allegations of torture and other ill-treatment and the use of excessive force by law enforcement officials persisted. Prosecutions for violations of human rights were ineffective and insufficient, and fair trial concerns persisted… The peaceful expression of opinion continued to be restricted in law and practice.

Lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and others were harassed, threatened, unjustly prosecuted and physically attacked. An increased number of cases were brought under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code [TCK], which criminalizes ‘denigration of Turkishness’.

Istanbul Governor’s office applied to the courts for the closure of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people’s organization Lambda Istanbul on the grounds that the name and objectives of the group were against “law and morals”.

For the full AI 2008 report, click here

Tags: Culture, Kurds, Rights, Women //