Activists Prosecuted, Not the Violators

The security forces killed a child trying to trap two pro-Kurdish guerillas last year. Rights activists prepared a report and denounced the incident. Public Prosecutors Office files a trial accusing activists of degrading the military.

İstanbul

Public prosecutor's office filed a complaint against rights activists who prepared an investigative report on the killing of an 11-year-old by security forces in the southeastern city of Batman.

Activists will be tried with "publicly degregading the military" and "attempting to influence a fair trial" as quoted in articles 310 and 288 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The first sitting of the trial is scheduled for May 18.

One of the accused, Association for Human Rights and Solidarity with the Oppressed (MAZLUMDER) local administrator lawyer Ahmet Sevim told bianet that they just received the notification and haven't acted already.

Last September, 11 year-old Mizgin Ozkek had been killed when security forces raided with guns the vehicle where the family travelled. Two members of the pro-Kurdish guerilla group PKK were left dead in the incident.

MAZLUMDER, Turkey's Human Rights Associstion (IHD) and Bar Association of Batman came together to investgate and report on the death of the child. They concluded that the security forces must have known the presence of Mizgin in the car but ceased to apply the necesary caution, thus violating the right to life.

In return, Batman Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the efforts by right activists on October 19, 2006.(NZ/EU)