Turkey admits deaths from jail torture
-NZPA • Ankara The Turkish Government acknowledged yesterday that a least 15 people imprisoned in connection with political terrorist activities had died in jail after being tortured since the military take-over 18 months ago. The disclosure was made by the Government spokesman and State Minister (Mr Ilhan Oztrak) in reply in Amnesty International charges that 70 Turkish prisoners have been tortured to death. The Amnesty list was delivered to the Turkish Embassy in London in January. It updated ah earlier list of 62 people made public last autumn by the London-based human rights organisation.
Mr Oztrak said an investigation into the fate of the 49
people mentioned in the Amnesty list was concluded and a similar probe was continuing over the other names. He said 15 of those people were killed as a result of torture in the prison and those responsible were standing trial. So far nine security officials implicated in the “incidents" had been convicted and sentenced. The Minister did not disclose how many other security or prison officials were involved and what were the sentences passed on those convicted. Mr Oztrak said 15 others had died from other causes, eight people listed by Amnesty were dead but were never imprisoned, four were under arrest but alive, one was alive but not under arrest, and six had died in shoot-outs either with rival
political gangs or security forces. The Minister did'mot give any names of a.ny other details about the persons alleged to have died from torture. Mr Oztrak accused the Nobel Prize-winning organisation of hurling charges at Turkey without preliminary study of information reaching them from various sources. . > “It is impossible to define this attitude of. Amnesty International as-objective or serious,” |ie said. He defended Turkey's handling of ” terrorist suspects, saying “the Government of Turkey never condones torture of’ those in custody or imprisoned and seriously studies any such allegations."
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Press, 18 March 1982, Page 9
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318Turkey admits deaths from jail torture Press, 18 March 1982, Page 9
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