UA 450/94 - Turkey: prisoners of conscience: Mahmut Sakar, Nimetullah Gunduz, Abdullah Cager (members of Diyarbakir branch of the Turkish Human Rights Association - HRA); Sedat Aslantas (former president, Diyarbakir HRA, Mahmut Akkurt; Yavuz Onen, preside

Index Number: EUR 44/157/1994
Date Published: 22 December 1994
Categories: Europe And Central Asia, Turkey

The first three men named above, prominent human rights lawyers, have been imprisoned pending trial, for publishing a report on human rights violations in southeast Turkey. AI considers them to be prisoners of conscience. The next two, Sedat Aslantas and Mahmut Akkurt, are now serving prison sentences for their activities in defence of human rights. Yavuz Onen and Fevzi Argun are at present on trial for alleged "separatism", relating to a report they published about torture in Turkey since 1980. Verdicts are expected in January 1995 in trials against Akin Birdal and Husnu Ondul, in respect of their publications on human rights.