Amnesty International Public Statement, 9. September 2016
Türkei: Amnesty International welcomes the ad-hoc visit by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture
Amnesty International welcomes the ad-hoc visit carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) to Turkey from 29 August to 6 September. The CPT delegation visited police establishments and prisons in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir and met with high level representatives from the Ministries of Interior, Justice and Foreign Affairs as well as law enforcement officials and NGOs.
Amnesty International had called on the CPT and other international bodies to monitor the conditions of detention in Turkey, after collecting credible evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and torture in official and unofficial places of detention in the aftermath of the coup attempt on 15 July 2016. Allegations of abuses continue to surface, including in prison as well as police detention facilities and against persons not held in connection to the coup attempt. Restrictions to detainees’ access to lawyers, the refusal to provide detainees’ lawyers with medical reports and the climate of fear among doctors, lawyers and activists make it difficult for independent monitors to verify these allegations. The reported lack of timely notification to family members and lawyers regarding detentions and the presence of police officers while medical checks are being conducted increase the risk of torture and other ill-treatment taking place. In light of these concerns, Amnesty International calls on the Turkish authorities to grant access to independent national and international organizations to monitor detention conditions and investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment. The CPT announced that they will transmit their report to the Turkish authorities in November 2016. Amnesty International calls on the authorities to request the publication of the report at the earliest opportunity in the interests of transparency, prevention of torture and ill-treatment and accountability.