The new Turkey
"University lecturer A

2-apr-19

Human Rights Watch received a second report regarding torture in the anti-terror branch of the same city in Southeast Turkey, as in case 4. Case 5 concerns a second individual transferred from prison back to police custody for further questioning at the anti-terror branch. "University lecturer A" is a 38-year-old man who was detained after the July 15,
2016 coup attempt, and subsequently dismissed from his university post by state of emergency decree 672 in September 2016. His name is known to Human Rights Watch, but withheld in this report at the request of his family who fear repercussions.32 Human Rights Watch has communicated full details of the case to the Ministry of Justice.

"University lecturer A" had spent almost a year in prison when he was transferred on July 16, 2017 to the anti-terror branch. His family discovered he was not in the prison when he failed to call them at the regular time allocated for a 10-minute telephone call from the

prison. His lawyer found out from the prosecutor's office that he had been transferred to the anti-terror branch, and visited him there on July 18. However, after that date the police had not permitted the lawyer from visiting his client again over a ten-day period. On July 28 when the police granted a second visit, the lawyer saw that "university lecturer A" had a black eye.

His family saw the black eye too during a visit a day after the lawyer's, and on an August 9 visit "university lecturer A" informed his lawyer that the police had beaten him because he had refused to give a statement. He told his lawyer he had been hooded, handcuffed, beaten repeatedly on the head, and subjected to electroshocks. The lawyer had applied to the Constitutional Court on July 11 for an interim measure, because of the imminent risk his client faced, but the court had issued no decision on the case.33

"University lecturer A's" family informed Human Rights Watch that "university lecturer A" had told them that on two occasions on separate dates the police officers had made him lie down, and applied electroshocks to his leg. He said that the police had also provided ice and ointment to treat the swelling on his head.34

"University lecturer A" was transferred back to prison on July 16, 2017 after spending a month in police custody, well in excess of any legally permitted limit. He has lodged an official complaint with the prosecutor's office, but his family have received no information about whether there is an investigation into the torture or the unlawful detention.

Source:HRW, In Custody Police Torture and Abductions in Turkey