(WiPC/IFEX) – On 21 September 2001, another trial hearing was held against Asiye Güzel Zeybek. The outcome was a further delay as the court was adjourned to 7 December. A journalist for two radical newspapers, Zeybek has been detained for over four and a half years, most of which in untried detention. Her trial started […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – On 21 September 2001, another trial hearing was held against Asiye Güzel Zeybek. The outcome was a further delay as the court was adjourned to 7 December. A journalist for two radical newspapers, Zeybek has been detained for over four and a half years, most of which in untried detention. Her trial started in February, four years after her arrest. This is a direct contravention of international standards that require states to bring prisoners to court within a “reasonable” time. Moreover, Zeybek claims to have been raped by police in the early days of her imprisonment, and believes that her abusers have not been brought to justice. International PEN has concerns about the fairness of Zeybek’s trial, and has been calling for her release pending the court decision. It also calls for a full and proper re-investigation into her allegations of rape.
Observers at Zeybek’s 21 September trial hearing reported their frustration at learning that the trial was to be postponed even further. However, they report that Zeybek looked well and in good spirits. Among those observing were Eugene Schoulgin, chair of International PEN’s WiPC, Elisabeth Zila-Olin of Swedish PEN and Anne Sebba of the English PEN Centre, as well as representatives from Lawyers Without Borders, the Swedish Writers Union and Norwegian Artists’ Association, alongside colleagues from Turkish non-governmental organisations and an international media presence.
Background Information
Zeybek, now aged 31, was arrested in February 1997 with ten others, many of whom are now free. All were accused of their involvement in the “Marxist-Leninist Communist Party” (MLCP), considered by the authorities to be supporting armed organisations working for Kurdish independence. At the time, Zeybek was working for the MLCP’s newspaper, “Atilim”, and had previously worked for the radical “Isçinin Yolu”, which led to a short term of imprisonment in 1994. Eventually Zeybek was charged under Article 168 of the Turkish Penal Code for membership in an “illegal organisation”, the MLCP.
Shortly after her arrest in February 2000, Zeybek filed a complaint against eight police officers, claiming that while under interrogation for thirteen days at the Istanbul Security Headquarters, she had been subjected to severe torture, including multiple rape. A first hearing of her complaint against eight police officers was held in November 1998, but in October 1999, the charges were overturned. The court cited “no proof of guilt” against the policemen, despite evidence presented by the Istanbul University Medical Faculty that Zeybek had been raped. Zeybek reported that she had been numbed by the experience, and has since written a book on her ordeal.
In December 2000, Zeybek was among hundreds of inmates protesting against the transfer from her prison in Gebze, to new style detention centres where there are concerns that prisoners are more likely to be abused. She reportedly suffered severe injuries as a result of police action, leading to temporary paralysis.
In the past year, PEN members worldwide have stepped up their campaign for justice for Zeybek. Appeals have been sent to the Turkish authorities calling for her immediate release pending trial, that the court adheres to international standards of fairness, and for a re-opening of the investigation into the allegations of rape.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– protesting the prolonged trial against Zeybek and urging that she be freed pending the trial outcome
– expressing deep concern about the viability of the charges against her and the fairness of the trial
– urging that the investigation into the allegations that Zeybek had been raped while in police custody be re-opened
Appeals To
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
President of the Turkish Republic
Cumhur Baskanligi
06 100 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 427 1330Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit
Basbakanlik
Cankaya
Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 0476
E-mail: ddlbsl@tccb.gov.trHis Excellency Hikmet Sami Turk
Minister of Justice
Adalet Bakaligi
06440 Bakaniklar
Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 3954Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
