Turkey: Assasinations attempts on Human Rights Defenders

TUR 002/9805/OBS 029
Attempted Killing
Turkey
12 May 1998

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
FIDH and OMCT venture, requests your urgent intervention in the
following situation in Turkey.

Brief Description of the Situation:

The Observatory has been informed that Mr Akin Birdal the President of
the Association of Human Rights (IHD member of both FIDH and OMCT) and
Vice President of FIDH has been the victim of an assassination
attempt.

Two persons dressed in dark blue clothes, entered the premises of the
IHD offices in Ankara. They said that they had come from Ankara and
wanted to speak to Mr Akin Birdal. As the secretary was going to Mr
Birdal's office the two persons burst into his room and opened fire.
Having shot him 8 times they ran out of the building.

Mr Akin Birdal was taken to the private hospital of Ciyigi. He is in a
critical  condition: he has 2 bullet wounds in the chest, three in the
legs and another to the shoulder.

This act is ample demonstration of the vulnerability of human rights
defenders. The Observatory condemns this attempt on his life and urges
the authorities to take all necessary measures necessary to identify
and  arrest those responsible as soon as possible.


 Action Requested:

Write to the Turkish authorities urging them to:

i.-	open an immediate enquiry to identify and arrest those responsible
and ensure that they be prosecuted and punished according to the law.

ii.-	take all necessary measures to guarantee the security and freedom
of Mr Akin Birdal and put an immediate end to all forms of harassment
and persecution directed against him. 

iii.- 	ensure the IHD, its members, as well as other human rights
groups the necessary guarantees to carry out their activities in
promoting and defending human rights.

iv.-	more generally conform to the dispositions of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and regional and international conventions
ratified by Turkey.


Addresses:

Mr. President Demirel, President of the Republic, Presidence, Cumhur
Baskanligi, 06 100 Ankara, Fax:  90 312 427 13 30

Mr. Yilmaz, Prime Minister, Basbakanlik, 06 573 Ankara, Fax:  90 312
417 04 76

Mr. Olatan Sungurlu,  Minister for Justice, Fax: 90 312 417 39 17

Mr. Basegioglu, Minister of the Interior, Fax:  90 312 419 16 64


Geneva - Paris, 12 May 1998

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