The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) 2020 Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers Report revealed the extent of torture and ill-treatment in Turkey. According to the report, those who applied to HRFT due to torture and ill-treatment range from 5 to 70 years old. The report shows that in 2020, when curfews were widely implemented, the number of people subjected to torture and ill-treatment on the streets increased.
The report also presented data revealing the relationship between human rights violations and the Kurdish issue. Accordingly, while people born in Southeast and Eastern Anatolia regions constitute 24.6% of Turkey’s population, they represent 62.6% of those subjected to torture. According to the report, people from all segments of society, from education level to employment status, were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. It was notable that one in every four people who applied to HRFT due to torture was still a student.
According to the report, 605 applications were made to HRFT Representatives and Reference Centers in 2020. During this period, the number of people who applied to HRFT for support due to torture and ill-treatment they experienced or witnessed was 190 (31.4%) in Istanbul Representative Office, 128 (21.2%) in Van Reference Center, 116 (19.2%) in Diyarbakır Representative Office, 78 (12.9%) in Izmir Representative Office, 58 (9.6%) in Ankara Representative Office, and 35 (5.8%) in Cizre Reference Center.
In 2020, 572 people (94.6%) applied to HRFT for treatment, rehabilitation, and documentation due to torture and other ill-treatment, 2 people (0.3%) due to severe human rights violations other than torture and ill-treatment, and 31 people (5.1%) as relatives of torture victims. In 12 (2%) of the applications, it was determined that the torture process experienced or witnessed took place outside of Turkey.
YOUNGEST APPLICANT IS 5 YEARS OLD
62.5% of the applicants were men, 36.5 “% were women, and 1”% were LGBTI+“individuals”. While 3.4% of the torture victims were under 18 years old, the report stated, “In 2020, torture was applied to people of all ages, from 5 to 70 years old.”
TORTURE ON THE STREETS INCREASED DESPITE PANDEMIC MEASURES
507 (90.2%) of the 562 people who applied to HRFT in 2020 and experienced torture in Turkey stated that they were detained due to their political thoughts, identity, or actions.
The report noted, “Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, the rate of applicants detained in open areas and streets increased to 61% in 2020, while the rate of detentions from homes decreased to 26.6%.”
TORTURE EVERYWHERE
Another striking finding in the report was that those who applied to HRFT experienced torture in multiple locations. The most common areas where torture was applied were streets and open areas, followed by vehicles, police headquarters, and police stations. The report also emphasized that applicants experiencing torture in different units during detention indicates the continuity and widespread practice of torture.
Additionally, it was notable that at least four out of every ten people (40.7%) who were tortured in 2020 experienced sexual torture.
FORENSIC EXAMINATION ISSUE
According to the report, the fact that one in four people detained in 2020 could not undergo forensic medical evaluation and no report was issued about them indicates a violation of basic guarantees in detention conditions, creating an environment conducive to torture.
Moreover, among those detained in 2020;
– 101 applicants (46.8%) stated that law enforcement was not removed during forensic examination,
– 129 applicants (59.7%) stated that the forensic doctor did not listen to their complaints,
– 168 applicants (77.8%) stated that the forensic doctor did not take their history,
– 195 applicants (90.3%) stated that the forensic doctor did not examine them properly,
– 173 applicants (80.1%) stated that the forensic doctor did not examine them according to their complaints.
Regarding this data, the report stated, “The information provided by the applicants detained in 2020 shows that basic international regulations, Istanbul Protocol principles, national regulations, as well as ethical and professional standards of the medical profession were not considered in the medical evaluation process, and this situation has become a permanent problem in the healthcare field”.
AVERAGE AGE OF TORTURE IN CHILDREN IS 10, YOUNGEST IS 3 YEARS OLD
According to the report, the average age of 20 children at the time they were tortured was 10, while the youngest child subjected to torture was found to be 3 years old.
It was determined that all of the children who stated they were tortured for ethnic and political reasons had Kurdish as their mother tongue, and they were subjected to torture in the Southeastern Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia Regions after the curfews.
The cause leading to torture in children was recorded as “ethnic” for 7 children, “political” for 6 children, “judicial” for 4 children, “other” for 2 children, and “asylum seeking” for 1 child.
10 of the children reported that the time of their detention was midnight (24:00-08:00). The report stated the following on the subject: “The fact that the detentions and house raids experienced by children predominantly occur at midnight indicates that an arbitrary and de facto process is being initiated instead of a legal process, with the purposes of intimidation and punishment coming to the forefront. Information about legal processes points to the fact that the principle of ‘the best interests of the child’ was not adhered to during children’s detention processes, that they were subjected to arbitrary and illegal practices, that procedural safeguards were violated, and that no alternative was sought other than decisions to restrict freedom, which is expected to be a last resort.”
Source: tihv.org.tr
