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Six human rights organizations wrote an open letter to the parliament protesting against a statement of Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy and president of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) sub-Council for Prisons, Mehmet Metiner on an interview with Duvar Newspaper correspondent Hülya Özmen Karabağlı on October 1 and another statement made by Metiner on the TBMM Human Rights Investigation Commission which was published on Yeni Çağ daily on October 6, 2016.
Metiner, in his statement, had said that they would not visit those arrested for being a member of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and not run any investigation into the torture and maltreatment claims.
The six human rights organizations pointed out to the fact that Turkey as a signee of the European Convention on Human Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adopted by the United Nations (UN) had to act in compliance with the provisions regarding the prohibition and prevention of torture.
Also “according to the judicature of the European Court of Human Right (ECtHR), a state has to prove that acts of torture and maltreatment were not undertaken by public officials and that it has taken necessary measures to prevent torture”, the organizations recalled and argued that Deputy Metiner’s statements were therefore unacceptable.
The open letter stresses also;
“No one, for whatever reason, can be exposed to torture and maltreatment.
“Torture is an attack on the human dignity and is absolutely prohibited. The state is obliged to not abstain from and prevent torture, run an investigation into undertaken acts of torture and bring these cases to justice as well as punish those who are responsible for it.
“This obligation can in no way be suspended, reduced or neglected”.
The open letter was written by the human rights organizations ; Helsinki Citizens Assembly (hYd), Human Rights Association (İHD), Human Rights Research Association (İHAD), Human Rights Agenda Association (İHGD), Association for Human Rights and Solidarity for the Oppressed (Mazlumder) and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TiHV) (HK/DG)
