MDE 14/044/2007 - 21 September 2007
The three Turkish men named above were released on 12 September and have returned to Turkey from Iraq. Metir Demir, Mustafa Egili and Hasip Yokus, had been detained without charge or trial since their arrest by the Kurdish authorities of northern Iraq in June 2006.
Amnesty International spoke to one of the three men who reported that they had been detained in the Asayish (Security) building in the city of Arbil. They had no access to lawyers and were not charged with any crime. During his interrogation one of the men was accused of working for the Turkish secret service and for a banned Turkish Islamist group.
After their arrest, two of the men were reportedly held in solitary confinement for six months. During the first three months they were tortured. One of the men told Amnesty International how he was beaten all over his body, subjected to electric shocks and falaqa (beating on the soles of the feet) on several occasions. He was also hand-cuffed and tied to a chair for a week until he lost consciousness. He was allowed a family visit three months after his arrest and has thanked Amnesty International for taking action on behalf of all three men.
No further action is requested from the UA network. Many thanks to all who sent appeals.
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