TURKEY: All arrested activists released / 4th CO briefly arrested

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During the night all activists who remained in police custody were released. The three conscientious objectors Ersan Ugur Gor, Erdem Yalcinkaya, and Mustafa Sehoglu were brought to the recruitment office, which was opened especially to deal with them. At the recruitment office their ID cards were taken, and they were told to come back in the morning, when they would be given back their ID cards. They were then released. During the night, a fourth conscientious objector, Hasan Cimen, who was sleeping in a car in front of a friends house, was briefly arrested by police. He too was brought to the recruitment office in the middle of the night, and was released with the order to report to the recruitment office in the morning. His ID card was also taken off him. Hasan Cimen declared his conscientious objection on 15 May 2000.

Mehmet Tarhan (TK14724) has been returned to the military prison after the trial, and began a hunger strike in protest against the abuse and mistreatment.

War Resisters' International is extremly concerned about these new developments.

War Resisters' International calls for urgent protest faxes and emails to: General Staff of the Turkish Military: Fax +90-312-4250813 residency of the Turkish Republic: Fax +90-312-4271330, email cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr
Sivas Military Prison: Fax +90-346-2253915 A protest email to the Turkish President Ahmet Nezdet Secer can be sent at http://wri-irg.org/co/alerts/20050526a.html .

War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of all arrested conscientious objectors and antimilitarists.

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International

Archives of co-alert can be found at http://wri-irg.org/news/alerts

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