From Kurdish human rights defenders, www.humanrightshouse.org has been alerted to video footage of the very violent conduct of the Turkish army and police during the recent Newroz celebrations. To view the Youtube placed coverage, click here. Newroz, the Turkish New Year, is celebrated on the spring equinox, 21 March. (02-APR-08)
Based on the information and link received, this article has been prepared for publication here by HRH F / Nils Jacob Harbitz. Photo: Kurdish-info.
To watch the video, click here.
Background
On 20 March several protesters were shot dead in the Syrian town of Qamishli when security forces used live ammunition on crowds celebrating the Newroz festival. Hundreds more were arbitrarily detained. Several reports strongly suggest that those detained have suffered torture and ill treatment at the hands of their captors.
In the Kurdish regions of Turkey unrest has continued since the security forces´ violent suppression of the Newroz celebrations, resulting in further clashes, protests and violence. The use of extreme force on civilians by the authorities has been well-documented. Videos and photographs have been widely circulated in the media showing riot police baton charging unarmed Kurdish civilians, many of whom were elderly. Another widely-circulated video shows a Turkish police officer deliberately breaking the arm of an already-restrained 15-year-old Kurdish child in the town of Colemerg, south-eastern Turkey. Many sources confirm that the child remains in custody despite the serious injury inflicted upon him. One young man who was beaten and shot by riot police in Van has passed away after a week´s suffering.
