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Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News
Occupation Of Amnesty International's London HQ And Some Conclusions
Today the Amnesty International's main building in London was occupied by the families of political prisoners from Turkey and members of IKM (Committee for Struggle Against Torture Through Isolation). The action took 7 hours and with the intervention of police the occupation has ended.
The aim of the action was to highlight the current situation of the political prisoners in Turkey and to protest against Amnesty International's lack of determination in taking actions against the brutality of the Turkish state. The following lines were said by Anne Burley, Director, AI Europe Regional Program during the dialogue with the demonstrators.
"There was no massacre on December 19, 2000", "The prisoners were also armed"
"If prisoners die on hunger strike it is their own fault" "There is nothing wrong with F-type prisons" "Prisoners kill other prisoners in jails" Someone who is considered to be a "human rights defender" like Anne Burley, should be ashamed of herself. Even the Turkish state is accepting a certain amount of misconduct by its security forces during the December 19 massacre.
We would like to remind Anne Burley about Amnesty International's opinion on the massacre and the F-type prisons. "Amnesty International Press Release, 19 December 2000, AI Index EUR 44/072/2000 - News Service Nr. 239 Turkey: Deaths and injuries as gendarmes storm prisons"
In this statement it mentions about the possibility of security officers' use of excessive force, torture or ill treatment. It demands a full investigation into all of the instances in which individuals were killed or wounded. It even demands the suspension of those alleged to be responsible from their duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
"Amnesty International Press Release, 6 January 2001, AI Index EUR 44/001/2001 - News Service Nr. 5
Turkey: "Isolation and beatings in new prisons must stop now" We have been told that there was nothing wrong with F-type prisons. But according to this press release "All reports confirm that a regime of solitary and small group isolation is being imposed in the new F-type prisons."
In fact, Amnesty International already discovered the risk of isolation in F-type prisons before the political prisoners were taken there following the massacre on 19 December. The Amnesty International's public statement [28 November 2000, AI Index EUR 44/065/2000 - News Service Nr.225] concerns about this matter.
Finally, Amnesty International's April 2001 report on Turkey has the following title. "F-type prisons: Isolation and allegations of torture or ill treatment"
Does Anne Burley read Amnesty International's statements?
Amnesty International's Secretary General, Pierre Sanê was also there during the action. He came during the later stages of the occupation and talked to the demonstrators. The following are the eyewitness statement about Mr. Sanê's attitude.
"Secretary General refused to commit Amnesty International to sending a delegation to Turkey or to do any press releases regarding F-type prisons or the Death Fast. He threatened that if we did not leave he would tell the police to intervene. Soon afterwards the police stormed the building and assaulted us. We were then thrown into a room where Pierre Sanê was standing. He told us while our throats were held and our arms twisted behind our backs, that he did not like people using threatening behaviour! We were then thrown out onto the street. As a result, the peaceful protest ended violently as Amnesty International ordered the police to assault demonstrators"
Well done Mr. Sanê and Ms. Burley and well done Amnesty International!
The people that you have dealt with have already been subjected to torture and ill treatment where they came from. They had faced the police brutality in Turkey before they escaped. Now in the hands of "human rights defenders" they were reminded that sometimes human rights abusers and human rights defender could in fact be the same people.
The demonstrators were demanding that Amnesty International should take serious measures and with their own ability pressurise the Turkish government to agree to the terms of the political prisoners. Clearly, while people are dying both in and outside prisons, issuing press releases and sending letters to the Turkish officials has no effect in finding a solution and stopping new deaths.
If Amnesty International claims that they are defending human rights then they should concentrate on Turkey's new F-type prisons. Because human rights violations are taking place on hourly basis in there. Every second that the prisoners spend in those cells contributes to the mental and physical death of prisoners.
Also, force-feeding and forcible medical intervention are forms of torture. In Britain this practice ended long ago. So, why is no one objecting to the Turkish state's medical intervention on hunger strikers. More than 30 political prisoners lost their memories and have become "the living dead" because of Turkey's new Mengeles.
We strongly condemn the Amnesty International's collaboration with police by converting a peaceful protest into an assault.
F-TYPE PRISONS ARE CELL TYPE PRISONS. ISOLATION IN CELLS MEANS LIFE LONG TORTURE.
F-TYPE PRISONS MUST BE CLOSED DOWN! FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS IN TURKEY!
IKM Izolasyon Iskencesine Karsi Mücadele Komitesi Committee For Struggle Against Torture Through Isolation
20 Briggs House Chambord Street London E2 7LN Tel: +44 7799473577 Fax: +44 20 79232095
Internet: www.noisolation.de E-mails: ikm_london@yahoo.com /
csrrp_london@hotmail.com
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