From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 13 Oct 92 15:41 PDT
Subject: ISRAEL / GUATEMALA / TURKEY
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700629:000:9606
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Oct 13 15:41:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: ISRAEL / GUATEMALA / TURKEY

/* Written 10:13 am  Oct 13, 1992 by geonet@gn.apc.org in igc:omct.sostortur */

Cases ISR/PAL  091291. C and ISR/PAL  310392. B
Follow-up of Cases ISR/PAL 091291. B and ISR/PAL 310392

The secretariat has received fresh information about the situation of
Intisar El-QAQ for whom we asked you to intervene in our appeal
ISR/PAL 091291, dated 9 December 1991 and of Rabiha SHTAY for whom we
asked you to intervene in our appeals ISR/PAL 080791 and ISR/PAL
310392, all sent at the request of Antenna International.
Brief reminder of the situation:
Intisar El-QAQ, now aged 22, was arrested on 12 November 1989 and
sentenced to four years in prison.  On 3 June 1990, while in prison
she gave birth to a baby girl Wattan, which prompted the Supreme Court
to reduce her sentence to three years.  On 21 November 1991 Intisar
El-QAQ petitioned for a further reduction of her sentence however, the
Parole Board refused to shorten her sentence, a decision she appealed
on 24 November 1991.  On 31 May 1992, her appeal for further reduction
was rejected.
In our appeal ISR/PAL 091291 we drew attention to the fact that
throughout her time in prison, both Intisar and her baby suffered from
petty harassment and that while her family had been given permission
to bring warm clothes for the baby, they were not allowed to bring any
for Intisar.  Ever since her arrest she has suffered from ear trouble.
In December 1991 she was promised surgery but was not given the
necessary treatment.
Intisar El-QAQ was due for release in November 1992.
In our appeals ISR/PAL 080791 and ISR/PAL 310392 we also informed you
of the case of Ms. Rabiha SHTAY who was arrested on 4 June 1991 and
sentenced to 8 years and eight months imprisonment on 22 March 1992.
There are serious concerns for her life given that she suffers from
cancer of the liver.
Recent information:
According to fresh information from the Public Committee Against
Torture in Israel (PCATI), Intisar El-QAQ was granted an early release
in September 1992.
However, Rabiha SHTAY's health is deteriorating rapidly as a result of
her liver cancer and at present she is refusing any treatment.
Remarks
The secretariat is greatly encouraged by the news of the release of
Intisar El-QAQ and on behalf of Antenna International we should like
to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the network and
all organisations and individuals for their action following our
appeal.
However, given that there are other detainees currently being held in
similar circumstances, we urge you to keep writing to the authorities
in Israel and the occupied territories to demand that they ensure
their physical and psychological integrity at all times.
In particular, we have in mind Ms. Rabiha Shtay therefore, we request
you to urge the authorities to release her on humanitarian grounds and
to ensure that she receives the necessary treatment for her condition.

Geneva, 9 October 1992
Case  GUA 300792 . C
Follow-up of Case  GUA 300792

The Secretariat has received fresh information about the case of Mrs.
Maritza URRUTIA PEREZ, on whose behalf we asked you to intervene
URGENTLY in our appeal GUA 300792, dated 30 July, sent at the request
of the CDHG - Comision de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala.
Brief reminder of the situation
In our appeal GUA 300792 we informed you of the detention and
disappearance of Mrs. Maritza URRUTIA PEREZ, a student at the
University of San Carlos (USAC) in Guatemala. In the follow-up to this
appeal, GUA 300792 . B, dated 4 August 1992, we informed you that Mrs.
URRUTIA PEREZ had been released on 30 July, after the showing on
television of a video in which she claimed that "she had had contacts
with a guerrilla group".
Recent information
According to the Comision para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos in
Centroamerica (CODEHUCA), Mrs. URRUTIA PEREZ told the Comision
Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) that during her detention
she had been victim of physical and psychological violence, including
death threats made against her children and other members of her
family.  It was as a result of this situation that she was forced to
"read" the declarations that were made on television.
In her denunciation she accused the judicial authorities and the State
Prosecutor, Lic. Acisclo Valladares Molina, of attempting to force her
to collaborate with the army.
Mrs. URRUTIA PEREZ has voiced her concern for the safety and physical
integrity of her family who live in Guatemala and has requested the
intervention of the CIDHG so that the necessary measures are adopted
to ensure their protection.
Remarks
The declarations of Mrs. URRUTIA PEREZ are an indication of the grave
situation of human rights in the country, and in particular of the
persistent use of torture and ill-treatment.
Please write immediately to the Guatemalan authorities urging them to
take all the necessary measures to put an end to the use of torture
and all other forms of violence and repression in the country. Exhort
them to investigate the violations of human rights in the country,
particularly those mentioned above, in order to identify those
responsible and punish them in accordance with the law.
Inform the authorities in your respective countries, the UN, and other
intergovernmental and nongovernmental organisations, urging them to
intervene so that the necessary measures are adopted both at the
national and international level to ensure the respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms in Guatemala.

Geneva, 12 October 1992
Case TUR 121092
At the request of Antenna International, we call upon you to intervene
on behalf of the following situation in Turkey.
Brief description of the situation:
According to information received from a variety of sources, the
situation in Turkish Kurdistan is deteriorating daily.  The civilian
population is not only victim of the armed conflict in the region, but
also of the repeated bombardments and the systematic destruction of
the villages by the army.  Many people have been killed, many more
arrested and placed under surveillance and journalists are continually
harassed.  In particular the following cases have been brought to our
attention:
1/   Following a meeting of the Turkish National Security Council on
25 September 1992 after which the government issued a warning to
various political parties and journalists, a number of members of
political parties and other mass organisations and members of the
press were arrested and/or placed under surveillance.  According the
information received, among these are included Feridun YAZAR the
former president of the HEP, Kemal OKUTAN, the deputy Secretary
General, Felemez BASBOGA the President of the HEP in Istanbul, Cabbar
GEZICI a departmental secretary, and dozens of departmental and
district presidents and secretaries. In addition to these people,
arrest warrants have been issued against, Huseyin TURHALLO, the
departmental president in Diyarbakir, and Serhat BUCAK, a member of
the General Assembly of the Party, the owner of the newspaper Yeni
Ulke and the joint owner of the newspaper Ozgur Gundem.  The current
status of these people is unknown but if they are still being detained
then there are valid reasons to fear for their personal safety.
2/   In addition to the blockade on information, the Turkish
government is also hindering the work of fact-finding missions.  On 29
September 1992, a German delegation undertaking a fact-finding mission
to Turkish Kurdistan was arrested and placed under surveillance for
one hours while attempting to go from Batman to Diyarbakir.  The
delegation was prevented to from going to Kurdistan.  According to the
information received, the police is alleged to have claimed that this
incident took place because the delegation was accompanied by
journalists from Ozgur Gundem,  Yeni Ulke and 2000 Dogru.  The members
of the delegation were subsequently released.
Action requested:
Please write to the Turkish authorities demanding that they take all
the measures in their power to put an end to the bombardments of the
civilian population by the army as well as the constant repression and
that they guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the
population at all times. Insist that they release all those who have
been arrested immediately if no charges can be brought against them.
In the event that charges can be proven demand that they be tried
before a fair and impartial court and that they have access to legal
counsel of their own choice. Demand that they put an end to the
repression of journalists. Please inform the authorities in your
respective countries, the United Nations, the European Community
asking them to intervene with a view to putting an end to the attacks
against the civilian population and urging them to find a peaceful
solution to the Kurdish question.
Addresses:
Mr. Turgut Ozal, President of the Republic of Turkey, Cankaya, Ankara,
Turkey  //  Mr. Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime
Minister, Basbakanlik, 06573 Ankara, Turkey - Fax: + 230 88 96 or 117
04 76  //  Mr. Seyfi Oktay, Minister of Justice, Adalet Bakanligi,
Ankara, Turkey.  //  Mr. Ismet Sezgin, Minister of the Interior,
Icisleri Bakanligi, 06644 Ankara, Turkey - Tlx: 46369 ICSL TR - Fax: +
118 17 95  //  Mr. Ahmet Turk, President of the Parliamentary Human
Rights Commission, Ankara, Turkey - Fax: + 420 69 41 or 119 16 64

12 October 1992
Please inform us of any action undertaken, (kindly mention the code
number of the appeal in any related correspondence).
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