ELCI AND OTHERS v. TURKEY JUDGMENT
30
hand over all her personal belongings, after which she was put in a cell,
where her blindfold was removed.
191. Half an hour later she was taken out of the cell blindfolded to an
interrogation room. She was made to sit on a stool and was pushed.
Someone said, “Admit that you are a courier - a courier for the
organisation”. She denied it and was slapped hard. She was threatened with
electric shocks and being suspended. She was taken back to her cell to
reflect on her situation.
192. The following night, around midnight, she was interrogated again.
She denied that she was the branch manager of the Human Rights
Association, and stated that she was its secretary. She was told that she had
ties with the PKK. She was asked about her work for the Association, its
links with the PKK, complaints made about Turkey to Europe and human
rights abuses put before the European Commission of Human Rights. She
acknowledged that she had denounced human rights abuses to foreign
visitors and had sought to take measures to prevent further abuses. She had
prepared cases for presentation to the European Commission of Human
Rights. She insisted, however, that she had no ties with any illegal
organisation.
193. Such interrogations went on for a week, including a more gentle
interrogation when the interviewer talked with her about her work for the
Association, her opinions and the legal profession.
194. Two days before being brought to court, attempts were made to get
her to sign documents, the contents of which were not known to her. When
she refused she was taken somewhere else, ordered to strip and hosed down
with cold water for about an hour, fainting at one point. She was threatened
with being tortured in front of her husband. However, she did not sign
anything.
195. Mrs Beştaş knew Abdülhakim Güven as the brother of one of her
clients and a prisoners' representative. When visiting clients at Diyarbakır
E-Type prison he would be present. She was purportedly confronted with
him while she was still blindfolded, but did not recognise his voice. She had
been told that he had made accusations concerning her. She acknowledged
in his presence that she had denounced human rights violations involving
detained persons and had defended cases before the State Security Court.
196. Through a peep-hole in her cell she saw Tahir Elçi and Niyazi Çem
(who had shouted out his identity on arrival in the corridor) standing naked
in the toilet, which was near her cell. They were hosed with cold water
twice and she heard screams and shouts.
197. Sabahattin Acar and Arif Altinkalem were in the cell to her left,
Şinasi Tur to her right. Across from her was Hüsniye Ölmez who cried
loudly “Don't do this”. Tahir Elçi and Niyazi Çem were kept in the corridor,
where they and others were kicked and insulted.