Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Libraryln J!ne 1989 Abdijll.dlr Aksu, lllnlst.r ot th. lnt.rior, announced th.touring thc first rir( and a h.lt oonths of tic !.dr At4Z6 pa;pl. hld beenoctainad in 3o!thc!itarn lurkly rh.r. nost ol ihe popul!tlon t3 of t(urdi5horigin. 0l thascr 11558 h.d baan ch.rgad and ton|.lly arr.stad. liost of theXurdlsh politiaal pri!oa€r! knorn to Atnnarty tnteraliional rerc chorgro,ith violan+.ffancasr br/t thay alio includad prisoncrs of conrciancaloprrron.d on account of thalr non-violrnt Dolitia.l or c0ltorrlrctlvitles. - - The Iurlirh 3oclologist and rrltar tr|||lit B€likgi ra! aott'nitled toSf,gn.lcrlar Prison lh trt.nbul on l? ttarch l99O .in c;nn?ction rith ni, mostrecent book, eotitled (urdistani tha Colonv bet*ecn lhe Stotcs. H€ i,.sch.rged under Arttcle 142l3 of tha lurki5h pcnal code, vhrch proscrrbes|l).lin9 "s€par.tist prop.gshd!", Ihe book had ba€n aonfiicdted idnedrotalJ.fter public.tion by Al!n publirhihg Hou:e ln f.bru.ry. 2. fortur.a .nd !l | -tr..t-nt ]lI:::!h::t, t?89 .nd rh€ e6rty Donth! or l99o annesty Inter..tion..lconllnueo to recciv. all€grtion! ot tortura.nd de.ihs carri.d by tortuia and-ballavai th.t .ny parson dltainad tor ! s!!pected polrrrcei-oircncc is 3tlll .t s.rioui rirk or torruru in Jlrrcy. 8".;;;iid;;;';.; "in9.n.rcportcd victtnr. Allrg.tiont ot.yrt.h.ti. to.tr". ri.i ,lpoitlJ Ironr att prrt. of th. cosntry. lortur. of crihinrt !u!p.cte ii'.iio-;irrtriiptrcc anaoacrJr.3 both tn polica 3t.tioo3 and grironi.\/44/962 s/ 2L387 English Page 5 InJune1989Abdulkadir Aksu,Minister oftheInterior, ennounced that duringtnefirstsixandahalfmonthsoftheyear4,426peoplehadbeen detained insoutheastern Turkeywheremostofthepopulation isofkurdlsh origin. Ofthese. 11558hadbeencharged andformally arrested. Mostofthe kurdish political prisoners knowntoAmnesty International werecharged with viole~_-offencest buttheyalsoincluded prisoners ofconscience imprisoned onaccount oftheirnon-violent political orcultural activities. TheTurkishsociologist andwriterIsma;l Be$ik~i wascommitted to S6gmalc\lar PrisoninIstanbul on12Harch1990inconnection withhismost recentbook,entitled Kurdistan: TheColonybetween theStates. Hewas charged underArticle 142/3oftheTurkish PenelCode.whlChproscribes making"separatist propaganda", TheDookhadbeenconfiscated immediately afterpublication DyAlanPublishing HouseinFebruary. 2.Torture endIll-treet.,nt Throughout 1~89andtheearlymonthsof1990Amnesty International continued toreceiveallegation, oftorture anddeathscausedbytorture andbelieves thatanypersondetained forasuspected pol1tlcal offence is stillatserious riskoftorture inTurkey. Evenchildren ~ereamongthe reported victims. Allegations ofsystematic torture werereported fromall partsofthecountry. Torture ofcriminal suspects isalsocommonplace and occursbothinpolicestations andprisons.A/44/962 8/21387 English Page5