This report aims to provide an answer to the key questions addressed to the Turkey Tribunal about abductions. These questions are: can we, taken into account the reports and the testimonies produced before the tribunal, conclude that abductions again are a part of the action of the state towards opposing persons and that no serious inquiry is organized about these facts?
Internal v. international abductions by Turkey The report distinguishes between, on the one hand, the abductions within Turkey itself and, on the other hand, the abductions of Turkish citizens abroad in order to bring them back to their homeland. With regards to the former Turkey consistently denies any involvement, with regards to the latter it openly acknowledges having executed these abductions. In both cases the course of events is identical: opponents of the current regime are abducted and, consequently, disappear from the radar. For some, this situation continues unabated to this day.Most, however, tend to reappear after a few months in certain Turkish police stations. They often turn out to be tortured and were forced to make incriminating statements. For these people, a second phase begins: that of continued deprivation of liberty – this time in a Turkish prison – during which their human rights tend to be strongly restricted. More precisely, the abductees are not allowed to openly discuss their situation with their relatives and generally cannot choose their own lawyer. Similarly, it takes an unlawfully long period of time before these individuals are first presented to a judge having to decide on the need to extend their detention. The abductees are also put under pressure to not fully defend themselves and forced to withdraw complaints on torture and ill-treatment. They are also prohibited from consulting independent physicians to attest their injuries.
BY JOHN HEYMANS
AbductionsinTurkey_Turkey Tribunal-Report(PDF DOWNLOAD)
