The attack is reportedly related to a press release in which the association condemned an attack on Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk during Newroz celebrations in Batman.
(BIANET/IFEX) – 22 March 2012 – The website of the Human Rights Foundation (IHD) was subject to a hacker attack on Wednesday, 22 March. The association announced in a statement made on Thursday that the attack was related to the press release entitled “Newroz Piroz Be!” regarding this year’s Newroz celebrations.
In the press release published on their website, the IHD condemned the attack on Kurdish politician and MP Ahmet Turk during the celebrations in Batman. The organization had further declared that it would document the rights violations that occurred during the Newroz celebrations in a public report. They demanded the launch of an effective investigation regarding the deaths and injuries.
The IHD believes that the hacking of their website is related to this press release. They announced in their statement, “Condemning the attack against Ahmet Turk is the duty of anybody who wants peace and democracy to be established in this country.” It was emphasized that the attackers threatened the organization by stating “one night we might suddenly come”.
The IHD requested that the judiciary “take this threat seriously and launch an effective investigation”. Twenty-four members and executives of the human rights organization were killed in armed attacks since the IHD was founded in 1986, the organization reminded.
The armed attack on Akin Birdal in 1998, then President of the IHD, was particularly emphasized. On 12 May 1998, two people arrived at the IHD office to talk to Akin Birdal. As they were about to leave, following their discussion, they suddenly turned around and shot at Birdal before they escaped. A total of 13 bullets were shot at Birdal, who was hit by six of them and was taken to a hospital.
