Two Detention Deaths in One Month

Just as Turkey is still reeling from the death of Nigerian refugee Festus (Faustus) Okey in police detention last month (20 August), another death has been reported.

The Istanbul Police Department has announced that 39-year-old Polish national Darius Witek died while in detention at the "Foreigners' Guesthouse" in the night of 18 September.

"Killed himself" 

The police claims that an analysis of recordings shows that Witek hanged himself by using the string of his trousers.
The police further says that Witek,who entered Turkey on 12 September, had been brought before the Kadiköy Public Prosecution on 15 September for an involvement in a knife fight. The prosecution had released Witek.

In the police statement there was no mention of what Witek was accused of, why he was released by the prosecution, whether there was going to be a trial, and how the process of deportation had been initiated.

bianet has learnt that Witek was supposed to be transferred to the Bakirköy Hospital for Psychological Disorders and that transactions had been completed.

Human rights violations in "guest houses" 

The Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD) has protested against the poor condition of the "guesthouse" in Kumkapi (Istanbul), where foreigners and refugees are kept. They have called for the place to be investigated by NGOs and will write to the Istanbul Police Department.

The IHD claims that it receives an average of one phone call per day concerning the violations of human rights of refugees being held in Kumkapi.

They gave as an example the call of an Iranian refugee, whose wish to fast for religious reasons was ridiculed by the police and who thought that he would be killed.

Both the United Nations Working Group Against Random Arrests and the European Council Committee for Prevention of Torture (CPT) have reported on the subhuman conditions of the "guesthouses" where refugees and foreigners are held.

Okey case: Missing shirt

Meanwhile, there has been further police negligence in the case of Festus Okey. After his suspicious death in detention, of which there are no video recordings, now Okey's bloody shirt has disappeared somewhere between the Beyoglu Police Department and the Taksim First Aid Hospital.

The shirt would have been an important clue as to how close the gun was when fired and how the death took place.
The Beyoglu Prosecution has started a second investigation into the missing shirt.

What happened between 5.47 and 6.06pm?

According to the indictment, Okey was stopped in the street at around 5 pm on 20 August and brought to the Beyoglu Police Department at 5.47 pm. According to the camera recordings of the entrance door, he was taken out of the building at 6.06pm and taken to the Taksim First Aid Hospital.

He arrived at the hospital at 6.08 pm. The shirt is said to have been lost when he was taken to the operation theatre.
Police officer K.K.A. said in a statement on 21 August that there was no shirt among the things that the hospital gave him.

If the shirt was found, it would probably show whether Okey died because, as claimed, he and police officer Cengiz Y. held the gun together and it went off during the struggle, or, if he was shot from further away. (TK/IS/AG)