Kurdish Human Rights Project

For immediate release - 5th August

Press release from:
Kurdish Human Rights Project

Journalists and Human Rights Defenders at Risk in Turkey

KHRP is concerned for the welfare of several prominent human rights defenders, journalists, politicians and Kurdish artists who remain in detention since being arrested en masse yesterday.

The group is believed to be held at the Central Gendarme Commandership in Tunceli and includes:

Ferit Aslan (Journalist)
Rustu Demirkaya (Journalist)
Selahattin Demirtas (Head of the Human Rights Association Diyarbakir Branch)
Alaaddin Erdogan (Vice-President of the DEHAP political party)
Umur Hozatli (Journalist)
Kadir Ozbek (Journalist)
Mihdi Perincek (Human Rights Association Southeast Turkey Coordinator)
Ozgur Soylemez (Councillor at Tunceli Municipality Assembly)
Haydar Toprakci (Journalist)
Ferhat Tunc (Kurdish Singer)

There is concern that the detainees may be subjected to torture or ill-treatment. There is evidence to suggest the arrests were motivated by recrimination at the abduction of a Turkish soldier on 11 July 2005 by the Kurdish guerrilla group People's Defence Forces (HPG). All of those detained had acted as mediators in securing the safe release of the soldier Coskun Kirandi.

For further information

- See KHRP, 'Freedom of Expression at Risk: Writers on Trial in Turkey' (2005) concerning the trials of prominent intellectuals and writers http://www.khrp.org/publish/p2005/05F.htm

- See KHRP, 'Relatives of Human Rights Defenders at Risk: The Extra-Judicial Killing of Siyar Perincek' (2005) concerning threats and intimidation of human rights defenders http://www.khrp.org/publish/p2005/05B.htm

For further information please contact:

Rochelle Harris, PR Officer, at +44 (0) 207 405-3835

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