(BIANET/IFEX) – BIANET joins Reporters sans frontières (RSF) in condemning the attack on journalist Sinan Tekpetek of the “Yüzde 52 Öfke” magazine by police. “The attack, carried out by those who are charged with the protection of citizens, is unacceptable. The attackers need to be found,” says BIANET. Tekpetek of the “Özgür Hayat” (“Free Life”) […]
(BIANET/IFEX) – BIANET joins Reporters sans frontières (RSF) in condemning the attack on journalist Sinan Tekpetek of the “Yüzde 52 Öfke” magazine by police.
“The attack, carried out by those who are charged with the protection of citizens, is unacceptable. The attackers need to be found,” says BIANET.
Tekpetek of the “Özgür Hayat” (“Free Life”) newspaper and editor of the “Yüzde 52 Öfke” (“52 percent Anger”) magazine gave an account of the attack at a press briefing at the headquarters of the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Istanbul on 28 July 2007.
He said that he had been stopped by police in Taksim, Istanbul, on the evening of 26 July. He was taken away in a police car and driven to a desolate place, where he was subjected to insults, death threats and violence. He was finally driven to a place near Karaköy (central Istanbul) and thrown out of the car.
According to the doctor’s report, Tekpetek has two broken ribs and bruises on several places on his body. He was declared unfit to work for 20 days.
The journalist said that he did not know the reason for the attack. It may be due to the activities of the magazine or because of a court case related to his witnessing a case of police violence in 2005.
In a briefing in Paris on 2 August, RSF said: “The violence described by Tekpetek is appalling, and those responsible must be identified, arrested and punished.”
“It remains to be established whether his kidnapping and beating were linked to his work as a journalist or his role as a witness in an earlier case of police violence.”
RSF added: “It is vital that the authorities intervene in this case. However you look it, this assault by those whose job is to protect citizens is unacceptable.”
