Aytaç Ünsal, an attorney at law, belonging to the progressive lawyers’ association known as the Peoples’ Lawyers, was detained by the Turkish police in a town close to the Turkish border. Ünsal had started a hunger strike in his prison cell, calling attention to being illegally kept in prison when doctors had decided his conditional […]
Aytaç Ünsal, an attorney at law, belonging to the progressive lawyers’ association known as the Peoples’ Lawyers, was detained by the Turkish police in a town close to the Turkish border.
Ünsal had started a hunger strike in his prison cell, calling attention to being illegally kept in prison when doctors had decided his conditional release due to his medical condition.
After 217 days of hunger, due to inflammation of the nerves, the authorities were forced to release Aytaç Ünsal. His doctors concluded that his medical condition prevents his imprisonment as it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
Turkish police say they stopped a car and found the lawyer preparing to cross the border illegally. Three other people were in the car. The only evidence the police have in accusing the lawyer with preparing to flee the country are a pair of boots they found in the car and a GPS device that can be found on any cell phone. All four passengers of the car are detained.
However, after he was detained, the lawyer was taken to the hospital by the police. Ünsal’s pictures at the hospital clearly show he was beaten by the police during or after his detention.
Ünsal will be kept under detention for 48 hours before being charged with a crime.
Sendika.Org News (MB)