Turkish police, nightwatchmen involved in torture, ill-treatment

Turkish police and night watchmen have committed serious abuses against at least fourteen people in six incidents in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır and in Istanbul in the last two months, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

Police officers set police dogs on people in their homes, leaving them with bite marks on their limbs, and beat them with a cable and fists while nightwatchmen beat suspects and sprayed teargas into their face, HRW said.

In all cases, the authorities have claimed that those alleging police ill-treatment violently resisted arrest and the security forces without providing any evidence, it said.

“The immediate knee-jerk denial of police wrongdoing when faced with reports of police violence, torture, and ill-treatment – specifically in recent incidents in Diyarbakır – is sadly familiar, but not acceptable,” Tom Porteous, deputy programme director at HRW, said.

“Turkish authorities should immediately investigate these credible allegations of serious abuse and hold those responsible accountable,” he said.