TURKEY: Conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan end hunger strike after 34 days

Turkish conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan ended his hunger strike yesterday, after 34 days, after two of his three demands were met by the prison authorities. Mehmet Tarhan began this hunger strike on 30 September, after a new incident of maltreatment by prison guards, who forcefully cut his hair and beard, causing injuries (see co-alert, 3 October 2005). He demanded legal action against those responsible, the same treatment as other prisoners, and an examination by civilian doctors. Although the last demand has not been met, Mehmet Tarhan decided to end his hunger strike.
In a separate development, the Military Court of Appeal overruled the 4-years prison sentence from 10 August 2005 (see co-alert, 11 August 2005), and returned the case to the Military Court of Sivas. The reasons are not yet clear, but it is understood that this decision is mainly based on procedure. Mehmet Tarhan will therefore again be tried by the Military Court in Sivas.
Tarhan had been arrest in Izmir on 8 April 2005, and has by now been charged twice with "insubordination in front of his unit". At a trial on 12 July 2005, the two separate cases of insubordination had been joined, and were then tried together.
Tarhan had been on a first hunger strike from 25 May to 21 June 2005, to protest against maltreatment and the authorities' inability to protect him in prison. He ended his hunger strike after 28 days, after the prison authorities accepted his demands (see co-alert, 22 June 2005). Tarhan had been briefly released from military prison following a trial session on 9 June 2005 (see co-alert, 22 June 2005), but had been brought back to his military unit, where he was again given a military order, which he refused. This lead to the second charge, and a second trial on 12 July, where the decision was taken to join the two cases.

War Resisters' International will continue to monitor the case, and we request special donations to enable War Resisters' International to send observers to the upcoming trial sessions in Sivas.

War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of Mehmet Tarhan and all other imprisoned conscientious objectors.

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International
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