File 94 - Mehmet Hafiz Uzun

3 items

Materials pertaining to an application that was to be filed on behalf of Mehmet Hafiz Uzun against the Republic of Turkey with the European Commission of Human Rights (referred to internally within the Kurdish Litigation Project as Case 63 and assigned to Tony Fisher as lead) regarding his detainment and torture by Turkish gendarmerie due to his affiliation with the Human Rights Association (İHD). These materials include: 1) the set of materials that were to be included in the application (Uzun’s personal details for the application form, Uzun’s statement to the İHD about his detainment and torture, Turkish court records, and the statement of Jonathan Sugden of Amnesty International who was part of the delegation described below), 2) correspondence from Tony Fisher to Kevin Boyle regarding the case including the notice of Uzun's death, and 3) a French-language article on the Lice massacre of 20-23 October 1993.
On 9 March 1993, Uzun, Lice district representative of the Diyarbakır Branch of the İHD, was part of a German-led international delegation invited by the Ministry of the Interior to observe the Newroz Festival in Lice. While at a café, the delegation met a young man who informed them that security forces had just set fire to his family’s home. The delegation attended the scene of the fire, where they were met by a military convoy. The delegation was ordered to put their hands up and approach the head of the convoy. The delegation were placed into vehicles and taken to the Lice Command Battalion. Uzun was separated from the German delegation, slapped, kicked, and detained. A first lieutenant told Uzun that he was going to have him killed and that he had made a financial agreement with the man who was going to kill him. On the same day, his spouse and daughter were telephoned and threatened. 10 days after being detained, they were taken into custody as well and told that Uzun had been killed.
On 10 March 1993, Uzun and two other detainees were taken to Diyarbakır. Here, he was subjected to blindfolding, water torture, hanging, beating, prolonged forced running-in-place, and electrogenital torture. He was interrogated about his relationship with the PKK, which he denied, stating that he was only affiliated to the İHD and the HED political party. The torture ended on 24 or 25 March 1993. On 9 April 1993 he was brought before the State Security Court and sent to prison without being told what for. He was released on 9 June 1993, and his trail was adjourned until December. On 1 February 1994, the Kurdistan Human Rights Project was informed that Hafiz Uzun was killed.

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