692 People Tortured in The First Half of 2004

The IHD releases monthly and yearly rights violations reports, as well as once every three and nine months.

January-June2004 report human rights violations, summarizes violations under the main topics of"right to live," "personal freedom and security," "freedom of expression," "freedom of meeting and demonstration," and"freedom to organize".

Right to live

* In the first six months of the year, a total of 61 people were killed in armed clashes. Six had died in the first three months. Fifty-five people died in the last three months. In the first six months of the year 2003, 41 people had been killed in armed clashes.

A total of 115 inmates and supporters have died in death fasts and hunger strikes in protest of the maximum-security F-type prisons. Hunger strikes and death fasts continue since October 20, 2000.  when inmates started protest against the isolation policies imposed by the recently established “F-type” maximum security prisons.

* In the first six months of the year, eight prisoners committed suicide, six burned themselves to death, another six died as a result of denial of medical treatment, and two prisoners were killed by other prisoners. A total of 22 prisoners died.

* 692 people applied to the IHD in the first six months of 2004 and said they had been tortured. 336 people were tortured in the fist three months, and 356 in the months that followed. 972 people had applied to the association in the first six months of 2003 with torture claims.

IHD said that electric shocks, “Palestine hangers” and beating the soles of the feet were among the primary torture methods used in 2004, as they were in 2003.

* In 2003, a total of 451 people were tortured in formal detention centers. In the first six months of 2004, that number dropped to 202.

* 111 people were tortured in places other than detention centers in 2003. There was a big increase in this number in the first six months of 2004.

IHD and the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (IHV) proposed methods to prevent torture to Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and the government body that follows the implementation of reforms, the association said. "Government employees accused of torture should be removed from their posts," it added.

Personal freedom and security

* In the first six months of 2004, a total of 3,688 people were arbitrarily detained. In January-June 2003, a total of 5,353 people were arbitrarily detained.

Freedom of expression and organization

According to the IHD figures, there was as much violation of freedom of expression and organization in the first six months of 2004, as there was in the same period last year. However, it added that there was a significant decrease in the number of seized and banned books, newspapers and magazines.

* In January-June 2004, three books and four magazines were seized, and one newspaper was banned. In the first six months of 2003, 29 magazines, 13 newspapers and nine books had been seized.

* In the first six months of 2004, a total of 218 people were charged under laws no: 312, 169 and 159 of the Turkish Penal Code in 35 trials whereas78 people were charged in 27 trials in the first six months of 2003 under same laws.

* According to IHD, there is no improvement in the attitude of prosecutors against those who solely express opinion. (YS/EU)