Counter Investigations Against Convicts Filing Complaints Get Reaction

Tüzün, a convict in the Malatya Prison, files a complaint against the bad treatment and torture he receives and the gendarmerie files three counter investigations to intimidate him. Human Rights activist Erbey says they launch investigations against those who file complaints.

Tolga Korkut

Zafer Tüzün applied to the Diyarbakır branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) on behalf of his brother İsmail Tüzün, a convict in the Malatya E Type Closed Prison, claiming that he was beaten in the prison. The association took this claim to the Ministry of Justice.

According to the reply from the Directorship of the Prisons, the Gendarmerie drew up a record about Tüzün on July 30, 2008, when he was taken to a hospital. According to this, Tüzün had hit his head to the walls in his cell and screamed slogans at them, while threatening them to kill.

Investigation against those who demand justice

According to this reply, Tüzün also received a disciplinary action. While the investigation that was launched upon Tüzün’s complaint continues, there are also the three investigations by the gendarmerie filed against Tüzün.

Muharrem Erbey, President of İHD’s Diyarbakır branch, with whom bianet met about the matter, says this is very similar to the cases filed by the police against those who seek justice.

The charges against Tüzün are “denigrating the institutions and organs of the state”, “threatening the official on duty”, and “praising the crime and the criminal”.

“They give arbitrary punishments”

Erbey says these kinds of counter investigations generally result in the arbitrary restriction of the rights of the convicts. “Lately the violations of the most fundamental rights are seen in the prisons.” (TK/TB)