Mehmet Tarhan jailed for four years

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Monday August 15, 2005 03:25

by Justin Morahan - Peace People

Turkey jails conscientious objector already freed by a previous court

Summary: Another conscientious objector has been jailed in Turkey. War Resisters International full reports can be read at http://www.refusingtokill.net/Turkey/ReleaseMehmet.htm
Please write to Turkish authorities

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A gay anarchist conscientious objector to military service in Turkey has been sentenced to four years in prison. Mehmet Tarhan had been the subject of an international campaign a few months ago when it emerged that he was being subjected to abuse and violence from fellow prisoners either at the instigation of warders or with their acquiescence in the prison in which he was being held.

Mehmet Tarhan had declared his conscientious objection as early as October 2001. The military asked Sivas MIlitary hospital to file a report on his homosexuality which the Turkish authorities look on as an illness that would enable them to discharge him from the military. But in his statement of conscientious ojection he had rejected such an unfit or rotten report saying he perceived it as a sign of the rottenness of the military system itself .

Mehmet Tarhan continued with anti-war activities since then and did not go into hiding. He was arrested on 8 April this year and tansferred to the Military Hospital by force on 20 April when he was stripped and forced to wear a military uniform.
His trial took place on 26 May and was adjourned to 9 June. War Resisters International reported that he had bruises all over his body and clearly could not walk well.

In the military prison in Sivas to which he had been returned, Mehmet Tarhan began a hunger strike . On 10 June the military judge ordered his release. The authorities however responded to this by assigning him back to his military unit and then inevitably back to prison because of his continued conscientious objection.

He remained on hunger strike until 21 June when the prison authorities acceded to his demands for equal treatment.
Finally on 11 August, WRI reported that Mehmet Tarhan had been sentenced to four years in prison.
There will be an appeal.

You are asked to write to Turkey, General Staff gnkur@tsk.mil.tr
to the Presidency of the Turkish Republic cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr
or to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rte@akparti.org.tr
or to Minister of the Interior Abdulkadir Aksu aaksu@icisleri.gov.tr
or to Minister for Justice Cemil Çiçek cemilcicek@adalet.gov.tr
or to Sivas Military Prison fax

Please send copies of any letter you may write to: http://www.refusingtokill.net/Turkey/ReleaseMehmet.htm