Monday, November 8, 2010

A man went missing after detained by Turkish police

08 November 2010


A 30 year old Kurdish man went missing in Istanbul after detained by three civil policemen 4 days ago.

A 30 year old Kurdish man went missing in Istanbul after detained by three civil policemen 4 days ago.

Necat Shahbudak, was detained by the Turkish police four days ago as he was leaving Yenibeyda Zeliha Hatun Mosque in Bagcilar, Istanbul. Shahbudak called his wife as the policemen were checking his ID with his cellphone and said that he is being detained by the Turkish police and advised him to inform a lawyer about the incident.

The eye-witnesses said Shahbudak shouted "My name is Necat Shahbudak. The policemen are taking me away. Inform my family" as policemen pushed him to the car.

Istanbul Security Directorate confirmed that Necat Shahbudak is in custody when his wife Gullu and his cousin Sami asked about the fate of Necat. The policemen told Gullu that her husband will be standing trial.

But the same policemen denied that Necat was detained and said that they have no information of his whereabouts.

"I am concerned about his life" Gullu said.

Gullu appealed to Human Rights Association (IHD) immediately after. But the Turkish police gave the same answer to IHD's lawyers.

Necat Shahbudak was detained in 2001 and he was left near a lake in Kucukcekmece, Istanbul after being severely tortured for days. He was found by a Kurdish man who took him to his home.

He was also briefly detained in 2006 in Umraniye Police Station.

Shahbudak's village in Tatvan, a district of Bitlis province, was demolished and set on fire by Turkish army in 1992. His family moved to Istanbul where they have been living ever since.

Shahbudak was 12 at that time and he worked as a paper-boy for pro-Kurdish Gundem daily newspaper. He was detained several times by Turkish police and received threats for selling Gundem daily.

He was also attending theatre courses in Mesopotamian Culture Center.

His brother Kerem said Necat was frequently threatened by the police although he was only working for his family in a textile atelier.

IHD lawyers said that they are investigating the incident and will release a report about it later this week.



ANF NEWS DESK /

ANF NEWS AGENCY