TUR 001/0703/OBS 032

URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY

TUR 001/0703/OBS 032
Threats
Turkey
10th July 2003

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH and OMCT joint program, requests your action on the following situation in Turkey.

Brief description :

The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Ankara that Mr. Ridvan Kizgin, Chairman of the Bingöl Branch of the IHD, received telephone threats on 8 and 9 July.

According to the information received, on 5 July, the Bingöl branch of IHD released its report on the human rights situation in the province of Bingöl during the six-month period from January to June 2003, showing an increase in human rights violations including ill-treatment and harassment by state agents (police and gendarmerie).

The report, based on the testimonies of victims, was presented by Mr. Kizgin during several press conferences.

On 8 July at around 10.30pm. Mr. Kizgin reportedly recieved a call on his mobile phone by a person who introduced herself as the Provincial Commander for Gendarmerie Regiment and asked Mr. Kizgin to report to the Provincial Commandership. The reason invoked was that his statements on human rights violations were false. He was asked not not make new statements before he has talked to the Provincial Commander and to explain to the press and public opinion that human rights violations denounced were not representing the reality. Mr. Kizgin refused to go to the Commandership.

On 9 July, Mr. Kizgin was reportedly called again on his mobile phone at around 9.30am. The person on the phone said that the Commander wanted to see him and asked him to come to the Commandership to withdraw his statements on human rights violations and to make a new statement that these allegations were not correct. Mr. Kizgin refused again and condemned the method used by the provincial authorities.

The Observatory is very concerned by these threats against Mr. Kizgin and would like to recall that since it was set up on 12th April 2001, the Bingöl Branch of the IHD has been constantly subjected to pressure (searches of its premises, documents confiscated, seal of the association seized, etc). In addition, there has been a total of 47 court cases launched against Mr. Kizgin, on the grounds of the activities that he carries out in the framework of the IHD. There are already 5 investigations pending against him launched by the prosecution (see Obervatory report on international mission of judiciary observation, Judiciary harassment against human rights defenders in Turkey, December 2002 and Annual Report 2002).

IHD immediately denounced this situation to the Prime Minister, the Foreign and Interior Ministers, the General Command of Gendarmerie and to the Human Rights Parliamentary Comission. Thirteen board members of the organization were killed by extra judicial killing during the 1990s after they received telephone similar phone calls.





Action requested

Please write to the authorities in Turkey urging them to:

i. put an end to any kind of harassment and threats against Mr. Kizgin and all human rights defenders in the country, and ensure that they be allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;

ii. abide by 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 "Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international level";

iii. more generally abide by the Universal declaration on Human Rights and Covenants and international Conventions ratified by Turkey.

Addresses

1. Minister of Interior, Mr. Abdulkadir Aksu, Içisleri Bakanligi, 06644 Ankara, Turkey. Fax: + 90 312 418 17 95.

2. Minister of Justice, Mr. Cemil Cicek, Ministry of Justice, Adalet Bakanligi, 06659 Ankara, Turkey. Fax: + 90 312 417 3954

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





Geneva - Paris, 10th July, 2003

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