AI: Turkey bulletin

[kurdeng at aps.nl]

------------ Forwarded from : Ray Mitchell <rmitchellai at gn.apc.org> ------------

+------------------------------------------------------+
+     AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION BULLETIN     +
+     Electronic distribution authorised               +
+     This bulletin expires: 1 November 1995.          +
+------------------------------------------------------+

EXTERNAL                                             AI Index: AMR 53/10/95

                                                          15 September 1995

Further information on UA 176/95 (AMR 53/09/95, 19 July 1995) - Fear of
Torture

VENEZUELA         Isabelino Bustamante, aged 60 (corrected age)

and new names:    Jose Hernandez, aged 27
                  Miguel Angel Guerrero, aged 55
                  Francisco Lara, aged 51
                  Martin Alavarez, aged 54
                  Juan Gomez, aged 47
                  Rodolfo Alvarez, aged 22
                  Antonio Dominguez, aged 61
                  Justo Pereira, aged 65
                  Trina Diaz (f), aged 58
                  Jose Ballona, aged 40
                  Alvaro Ballona, aged 29
                  Guillermo Lopez, aged 48
                  Ana de Lopez (f), aged 49
                  Mirian Lopez (f), aged 17
                  Judith Baldoyo (f), aged 24
                  Octavio Sabogal, aged 34
                  Luis Arguello, aged 39
                  Marcos Sanchez, aged 60


Amnesty International has received detailed reports of the torture of the
19 people named above (originally thought to have been 20).  All have now
been released from detention.  The 19 had been arrested in Guasdualito,
Apure State, by the Policia Tecnica Judicial (PTJ), Judicial Technical
Police, between the 8 and 27 July 1995 (not all on the 19 July, as
previously reported).

The detainees have been interviewed and examined by medical personnel from
the well-known Caracas-based non-governmental organization, Red de Apoyo
por la Justicia y la Paz, Support Network for Peace and Justice.  All were
reportedly suffering from various post-traumatic symptoms, both
psychological and physical. The detainees have described the various
torture methods and threats that were used against them.  They also stated
that, while in detention, they were forced into signing statements that
they had not been tortured, and they had been denied medical care before
and after their torture.

The official forensic doctor of Guasdualito is said to have stated in a
report to the government that the detainees were in perfect physical
condition, and the state attorney (Fiscal) of Guasdualito has also
apparently stated that the detainees were not tortured.  However, one of
the detainees alleges that he asked the prosecutor to intervene to stop the
torture, but when she (the state attorney) communicated this to the
authorities, the detainee in question was subjected to further torture.

To Amnesty International's knowledge, no investigation has been initiated
into the detainees' allegations of torture and the subsequent medical
confirmation of these allegations by the medical personnel of Red de Apoyo.

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
+ Supporters of Amnesty International around the world are  +
+ writing urgent appeals in response to the concerns        +
+ described above. If you would like to join with them in   +
+ this action or have any queries about the Urgent Action   +
+ network or Amnesty International in general, please       +
+ contact one of the following:                             +
+                                                           +
+      Ray Mitchell, rmitchellai at gn.apc.org (UK)            +
+      Scott Harrison, sharrison at igc.apc.org (USA)          +
+      Guido Gabriel, ggabriel at amnesty.cl.sub.de (Germany)  +
+      Marilyn McKim, aito at web.apc.org (Canada)             +
+      Michel Ehrlich, mehrlich at aibf.be (Belgium)           +
+-----------------------------------------------------------+





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