The authorities tolerate the torture and encourage the perpetrators, says Gülan Çağın Kaleli, one of the lawyers of the HRFT while talking about the impunity in the cases of torture in Turkey and the region. She also says that they have received applications the most from prisons.

MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – The cases of torture in Turkey increased, according to a recent report prepared by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture. Human Rights Association (IHD), Republican People's Party (CHP) and many NGOs also prepared reports on rights violations and torture. Last year, 690 people applied to the IHD for the torture they faced. Gülan Çağın Kaleli, one of the lawyers of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT), talked about the increase of cases of torture. Stating that torture is defined as a crime in both national legislation and international laws, Kaleli says that this crime has become more visible recently. Pointing out that they face cases of torture in detention units almost every day in the region, Kaleli underlines that these cases are left unpunished during the judicial process.

“Impunity encourages perpetrators of torture”

“Even though persons have filed criminal complaints due to the torture, prosecutors have declared to proceed no further. The persons, who were tortured, have faced standing trial for “resisting a police officer” and “insulting”. As a result, the tortured persons become victims once again. There are also other situations that encourage torture. One of them is that the authorities’ speeches also encourage the crime of torture. For example, the speech of Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu; said, “Break his arms and legs and bring him to me wherever you find him.” Official authorities accept they tolerate torture by making statements by using many “but”. All these encourage perpetrators of torture,” says Gülan Çağın Kaleli

They have received most applications from prisons

Kaleli says they have received most applications for torture from prisons, “We faced the cases of the strip search tortures in prisons before but now more people have faced the strip search under detention. The people should inform their lawyers about what they face. Their lawyers and NGOs should propose the strip search for the agenda and file a criminal complaint against torturers. We have received most applications about the strip search from prisons. In addition, we have received applications from prisons saying the prison officers arbitrarily using physical force against prisoners during ward searches. The inmates also report that they have been handcuffed while they have been transferred from prison to hospital.”

“The actual legislation must be implemented”

Stating that the actual legislation must be implemented to reduce the increase of cases of torture and rights violations, Kaleli says such cases should be perspicuously and objectively carried out.