Bingöl Branch of the Human Rights Association was raided by the police The Governor of Bingöl suspended Elected Head of HRA Bingöl Branch from Duty…
The police raided the HRA Bingöl Branch in the morning of 30 November 2001 and confiscated effects of the Branch, application forms by victims of human rights violence in the province, monthly reports, HRA Headquarter bulletins and press statements of the Head of the Branch. In addition, personnel and Mr. Rıdvan Kızgın, the Head of the Branch were threatened and insulted by the police who attempted to take Mr. Kızgın and other two personnel, Ms Fadime Becerikli and Sabih Arslan, under custody but later gave up.
Mr. Rıdvan Kızgın was also presented a statement signed by the Governor of Bingöl dated 30 November 2001 concerning the suspension from chairmanship from the Branch. (The suspension decision was taken on the grounds of Article 45 of the Association Law.
This raid is related to an event which was taken place on 25 November 2001, the international day on fight against violence towards women. During the training programme on Women and Violence organised by Members of the Women Committee of the Branch, Head of the Security Branch of the Bingöl Directorate for Security together with a police commissioner and two policemen came to the Branch building and wanted to follow the meeting and to videotape the meeting. The Head of HRA Branch reacted to them asserting that the meeting as it was only for members of the HRA and not open for public could not be regarded in the context of the law No:2911 related to organising meetings and demonstrations. The police held a false statement claiming that the Head of the Branch showed resistance not to teke theim in the Association premises.
Bingöl Branch of the Human Rights Association has been raided four times since 12 April 2001, the day the Branch was opened officially. On the raid of 17 October 2001, the Association seal was confiscated, which made the Association unable to collect membership fees and donations.
Recently, the Human Rights Association with the invaluable assistance of Bingöl Branch establishes reports on human rights violences in Böngöl province and make those violences public at both national and international level. It has been understood that local authorities, especially the Governor's office and security directorate of Bingöl, by using legal, financial and de facto pressures to silence HRA in Bingöl instead of taking measures to stamp out violence.
We urge you to keep in solidarity with the Human Rights Association.
We shall continue to keep you updated on developments.
Human Rights Association
Headquarters
Article 45 of the Association Law
All administrative premises, buildings and annexes, all books, accounts and proceedings of associations are subject to inspection at any time by the Interior Ministry or the most senior local representative of government. The Interior Ministry may carry out such inspections through the Ministry Inspection Council, the Inspection Council of the General Directorate of Security, members of the Special Associations Supervision Group, other civil servants employed in the Ministry or in the central organizations of the General Directorate of Security, personally by the most senior local representative of government or by a civil servant or servants delegated by the most senior local representative of government.
Associations may be inspected by the ministries responsible for the area of their aims and activities, and also student associations may be inspected by the relevant institution of higher education, religious associations may be inspected by the Ministry for Religious Affairs, and sport associations and clubs may be inspected by the General Directorate for Physical Training.
In the course of such inspections, the officials of the association shall show or hand over all manner of books, documents and proceedings in writing which may be required by the authorized civil servants, and must provide access in response to any demand to enter the administrative premises, buildings and annexes.
During inspections carried out by Governors and Local Governors, or inspectors [illegible], members of the Special Associations Supervision Group of the Interior Ministry and officials of the relevant institute of higher education may temporarily remove from office any chairperson or member of the management council or relevant personnel who:
1. Declines to permit a safe or cash box to be checked, show moneys, paper representing moneys or accounts and records thereof, respond to questions, permit access to the headquarters, buildings or annexes,
2. Commits any important offence of fraud, theft, deception, forgery, abuse of religious belief or smuggling,
3. Commits any offence requiring the imposition of a heavy prison sentence,
4. Forges a document.
If the inspection has been carried out by a civil servant or servants appointed by a governor or local governor, any decision by such a civil servant or servants to remove an official from duty shall take effect upon approval by the governor or local governor.
A decision to remove an official from post and the reasons for the said decision shall be communicated by the office of the governor in question to the Public Prosecutor within three days.