TURKEY: Ozgur Karakaya and Cihan Gun released - FUA 281/08

On 15 October 2008, Ozgur Karakaya and Cihan Gun were released from the Metris prison in Istanbul where they had been held since 29 September. Their friend and colleague Engin Ceber died in hospital on Friday 10 October as a result of torture.

Statements made by Ozgur Karakaya and Cihan Gun to their lawyer include allegations of repeated beatings with wooden truncheons at the police station and during their detention in prison, being strip searched and soaked in water, being hit and kicked all over their bodies including their genitals. They stated that this torture and ill-treatment continued over several days.

The Minister of Justice took the unprecedented step of publicly apologising to the family of Engin Ceber, after having recognised that he had died as a result of torture. 19 state officials were suspended pending an inquiry into the allegations of torture.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
When they were arrested, the group was protesting against continued impunity in the case of Ferhat Gercek, an 18 year-old man who was shot by police on 7 October 2007, during the sale of the legal left-wing magazine Yuruyus. Amnesty International issued a World Wide Appeal for Ferhat Gercek: click here


No further action is required. Many thanks to those who sent appeals.