Istnabul branch office of the Human Rights Association (HRA) was attacked by an armoured person named Zeki Genç on Thursday the 15 November 2001 at around 2.30 p.m.
As soon as the door opened, the attacker, yelled "lay you down, I will kill you, crawl I will shoot at your heads" while he was firing his gun. Taking the advantage of panic, he went towards the directory room saying that he had a bomb that it would explode in 5 seconds and thus he would kill everybody. He tried to open the office door and threatened everybody shouting "open the door otherwise I will strafe". In this moment, the attacker was prevented in firing his gun eventhough he tried to pull the trigger as Şaban Dayanan, one of the executive members of our Association who was standing in the kitchen, jumped from the back of the attacker and put his finger on the trigger mecanism. The attacker was passified with the intereference of other executive members who where at the office, the police was called and his gun and knife was taken. Police neutralized the package which was claimed to be a bomb.
Ms. Eren Keskin, Chairperson of Istanbul branch office; Gülseren Yoleri, executive secretary; Doğan Genç and Şaban Dayanan, executive board members; and HRA members Ümit Efe, Güray Kazak, Ali Armutlu and Veysi Altay where at the office when the incident took place. Şaban Dayanan got injured from his left hand when he tried to prevent the attack.
According to the allegations made by provincial chairman of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), Vahit Genç, the attacker, Zeki Genç, was taken into custody on the ground that he had an arson attack on Şişli District of the Freedom and Solidarity Party and burnt the door of the Beyoğlu District of the Socialist Power Party (SİP) on 2 March 2001. Although his home was searched and two guns, one handgrenade and a set of non-commissioned officer clothes were found during the search, he was released withouth being based on a reliable reason.
A day before the attack on Istanbul branch office of the HRA; on 14th of November 2001 at around 12:00-12:30, Zeki Genç had attacked the provincial branch and Şişli District office of People's Democracy Party (HADEP) and wounded one person with knife and another with gun-shut.
A week ago a letter delivered from the beneath of the door of our Istanbul branch office gives information about the attacker. It is claimed in the letter that Zeki Genç is a member of Idealist Centers (an extreme nationalistic group) in Şişli district of Istanbul and that he is involved in extrajudicial executions and that he has been given a medical report by Bakırköy Hospital for Psychological and Neurological Diseases. This letter shows that some other persons were already informed about the attack.
While the activities of our Association are being prevented through judicial and administrative pressures, executive members of the Association are subject to severe attacks even to killings.
Governments do not comply with their obligations derived from the international human rights documents to protect human rights defenders and to facilitate them to work in this field. Branches of the HRA are being closed down; court actions are being launched for the closure of the branch offices and the Headquarters of the HRA. Countless and non-observable investigations are being launched against our executive members. Authorities who take every opportunity to express their displeasure and intensify disinformation on the HRA which struggles against human rights violations and reveals its findings, are either directly or indirectly responsible for such de facto attacks.
The most significant indication of the sincerity of the government concerning its human rights and democracy policies is attitudes towards human rights defenders.
Whenever human rights defenders are attacked, there are the realities and human rights violations wanted to be hidden.
We invite the government to be sincere and act in complying with its obligations.
Selahattin Esmer
Secretary General