Riceviamo e diffondiamo

Trasmettiamo questa urgente richiesta di iniziativa per impedire la chiusura da parte del regime turco dell'Associazione diritti umani (IHD, in sigla inglese HRA). In calce sono i fax ai quali indirizzare messaggi di protesta, dei quali vi chiediamo di trasmettere copia a questo indirizzo mail o al fax 06.57305132.

In sintesi: a ridosso della cruenta operazione nelle carceri, dopo la chiusura di ben sei sedi dell'IHD, sono state messe sotto processo le due sedi principali di Istanbul e Ankara. In quest'ultimo processo, aperto il 19 marzo, il Tribunale speciale, facendosi portatore di una campagna diffamatoria sul presunto finanziamento dell'IHD da parte della Grecia, ha proposto la chiusura della sede centrale dell'associazione.

Solo chi li ha conosciuti sa cosa vorrebbe dire, per i democratici kurdi e turchi e per le vittime della repressione, la messa al bando degli attivisti dell'IHD.

Riproponiamo che una nuova delegazione italiana, composta prevalentemente da giuristi, si porti in Turchia fra il 2 e il 4 aprile, per assistere a Istanbul ai processi intentati in queste due date rispettivamente al presidente dell'Istituto di cultura kurda e (per iniziativa dell'IHD) agli agenti e funzionari di polizia responsabili della morte sotto tortura del militante dell'Hadep Metin Yurtsever. La stessa delegazione potrebbe farsi portatrice della solidarietà all'IHD e a tutte le vittime della repressione, a cominciare dai detenuti ormai in coma per lo sciopero della fame contro l'isolamento carcerario.

----- Original Message -----

From: Internationale Initiative

To: info

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE BRIFINGS:

Equipo Nizkor
Derechos Human Rights
Serpaj Europe
Urgent Solidarity
27mar01

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND DEFAMATORY CAMPAIGNS AGAINST THE HUMAN RIGHTS
ASSOCIATION OF TURKEY.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a program
of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the following
situation in Turkey.

Brief description of the situation:

The Observatory was informed by the Human Rights Association and the
Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) of a series of events that have
taken place in Turkey since January 2001. On January 25th 2001, the
police searched the Human Rights Association (HRA) headquarters. All of
the association's computers were confiscated, as well as all documents
and floppy disks.

According to the Observatory's information, this search follows a
decision of the 9th Penal Tribunal of Ankara which on January 22nd was
seized of the matter at the request of the Ankara Prosecutor under the
pretext that HRA had receive financial support from the Greek Foreign
Affairs Ministry without prior authorization from the authorities. The
Court ordered a search for information with which to support its
charges.

On January 19th, the Anatolia press agency had published an article,
subsequently quoted by the Turkish Daily Hurriyet and two Turkish
television channels, whereby the HRA had allegedly received financing
from the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry. NTV and Turkish CNN
subsequently corrected this information at the request of HRA, which
formally denies these accusations.

Additionally, the Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry has published
information on its website aimed at discrediting HRA, and questioning
its impartial and objective character. It accuses HRA of separatism and
involvement in political activities.

On March 19th, a court case was started against the Human Rights
Association at Ankara Judicial Court No. 24, with the demand, by the
Prosecutor of closure of the headquarters of the Association. Diplomats
from Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, USA and Belgium attended the
hearing. The indictment claimed that the HRA had been active beyond the
aims described in its statutes. The court has decided to adjourn the
hearing to May 5, 2001, until individual investigations are conducted
against individual members of the Board.

This procedure is engaged in a general context of increasing harassment
against the Human Rights Association. The Observatory considers that the
procedures against the Association are only based on the fact that it
has raised sensitive issues in the debate on the new F type prisons.
This legal harassment is a breach of freedom of association and
expression and it violates the International Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders. The Observatory condemns this attitude, particularly as
Turkey has just presented its National Programme expressing its will to
comply with the Copenhagen Criteria, which will enable it to enter the
European Union.

Action requested:

Please write to the authorities urging them to:

- put an end to any kind of harassment against human rights NGOs and all
defenders of democracy in the country, and ensure that they be allowed
to carry out their work without  obstacles;
- abideby the provisions of the Declaration on the Protection of  Human
Rights Defenders adopted on the 9th of December 1998, by the U.N.
General Assembly ("Declaration on the right and responsibility of
individuals, groups and organs of society to promote and protect
universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms"),
particularly, Article 1 (see above) and Article 6.c which mandates that
"everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to
study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law
and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and
through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to
those matters".
- more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and
Covenants and international Conventions ratified by Turkey.

ADDRESSES:

Minister of Interior, Mr Saadettin Tantan, Içisleri Bakanligi, 06644
Ankara, Turkey.
Fax: + 90 312 418 17 95.

Minister of Justice, Prof Hikmet Sami Türk, Ministry of Justice, Adalet
Bakanligi, 06659 Ankara, Turkey.
Fax: + 90 312 417 3954 / 418 5667

State Minister with responsibility for Human Rights, Mr Rüstü Kazim
Yücelen, Office of the Prime Minister, Basbakanlik, 06573 Ankara,
Turkey. Fax: + 90 312 417 0476

Geneva - Paris, March 20, 2001

[Source: Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders - TUR
003/0301/OBS 025 - Geneva/Paris - 23mar01]
--------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Tel.: FIDH: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11
Tel.: OMCT : + 41 22 809 49 39
Mailto: observatoire@iprolink.ch
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
LINKS:
Human Rights in Turkey
http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/mena/turkey.html
Hunger strikes and prison interventions in Turkey: Publication of
observations by Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee delegation.
16mar01
http://www.cpt.coe.int/en/press/20010316en.htm
Press Release: Publication of the report on the visit to Turkey in
August 1996. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. 01mar01
http://www.cpt.coe.int/en/press/20010301en.htm
Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and
Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: A/RES/53/144
http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/A.RES.53.144.En?OpenDocument