Human Rights Association Istanbul branch officials Wednesday made a press statement that they received messages threatening their lives undersigned by Turkish Revenge Brigade (TIT). A shadowy organization linked to the extreme right, the organization had during late 1970s civil strifes assumed the assassinations of left wing intellectuals and activists.
In a public letter addressed to the president of Turkey, and copied to relevant ministries, Rachel Denber Acting Executive DirectorEurope and Central Asia division of the HRW calls for investigation of the threats, government measures to protect the human rights defenders, and a public statement affirming the positive role of human rights organizations in Turkey's developing society.
The threats
Istanbul branch president Eren Keskin of the Turkish Human Rights Association (HRA), the Marmara region representative Dogan Genc, and the branch secretary Saban Dayanan were Tuesday delivered letters to their home addresses headed Our final warning to the traitor separatists. The threats were made in the name of the Turkish Revenge Brigade (TIT),.
The letter accuses the three of insulting the Turkish flag, encouraging armed separatism, and acting as agents of Europe and the USA.
The allegations and the threats appear to be related to the wave of nationalist violence in Turkey over the past two months. The violence has been linked to supposed insults to the national flag by dissident citizens.
HRWs concerns
In their public letter, the threats deserve an urgent and convincing official response, HRW says.
HRW recalls that extrajudicial killings and disappearances have claimed the lives of thirteen members of the Human Rights Association over the past 14 years.
It is not clear to what extent the Turkish Revenge Brigade is a continuous and distinct organization, but certainly several fatal and near-fatal attacks have been carried out in its name, they say.
These include the murders of parliamentary deputy Mehmet Sincar and the journalist Ferhat Tepe in 1993, and the attack on Akin Birdal, president of the Human Rights Association in 1998. These same members of the Istanbul branch of the HRA who have just received threatening letters had narrowly escaped an armed attack by a lone gunman in 2001.
Human Rights Watch calls on the Turkish president to ensure that these threats are investigated urgently by the Istanbul prosecution service.
According to HRW, the three human rights defenders have told that they commonly receive threats by telephone but are particularly alarmed that these written threats arrived by post at their respective home addresses.
It is unclear how the TIT obtained their home addresses, which are never disclosed to the public. Since officials from the Human Rights Association are often required to submit their personal details to the police authorities, inquiries should be made to establish whether or not the Istanbul police passed the addresses on to others HRW warns recalling the conviction of a former gendarmerie officer with links to TIT for the 1998 assault on HRA president Akin Birdal,
State protection
The HRW also urges president Sezer to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to protect the three HRA officials in accordance with Article 12.2 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders
The article calls on states to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.
The HRW also urges that a high-level and public statement be made, affirming the legitimacy and value of the work of human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Association, and condemning the death-threats made against its staff. (EK/YE)
