Kurdish villager allegedly thrown from helicopter forcibly taken to military hospital, lawyers say: report

Turkish police on Tuesday took Osman Şiban, a Kurdish villager allegedly tortured by soldiers and thrown from a helicopter, from his home to a military hospital, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD).

The chief public prosecutor’s office in the eastern city of Van had issued an order for his transfer to the military hospital to determine whether Şiban, who was recently discharged from a local hospital in Van, can testify or not, the association said.

Van'ın Çatak ilçesinde 11 Eylül’de helikopterden atılma iddiası ile gözaltına alınan, 10 gün sonra Bölge Hastanesi'nden taburcu edilen Osman Şiban sabah 5'te ev baskını ile Askeri Hastane'ye getirildi.

Şu an hastaneye alınmıyoruz.#HelikopterdenAttılar

— ÖHD Van (@OhdVan) September 22, 2020

Şiban, along with Servet Turgut, had been detained on Sept. 11 in Van and was reportedly admitted to the Van Teaching and Research Hospital in serious condition two days later.

A medical report from the hospital published by the Mezopotamya news agency on Monday gives the reason for Şiban’s initial hospitalization as “a fall from a helicopter.”

Following the revelation, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) issued a statement condemning what it labeled as “institutionalized torture.”

Kurdish farmers O.Şiban & S.Turgut who were taken into custody by military personnel in Van on Sept 11, were found 2 days later at an intensive care unit. Hospital's report has now clearly confirmed that the 2 men had been thrown from a helicopter while they were under custody. pic.twitter.com/2BKWkg2qZP

— HDP English (@HDPenglish) September 21, 2020

The Van Governor’s Office issued a statement on Monday regarding the allegations that confirmed the detentions of Şiban and Turgut, saying the victims were taken to a hospital due to a fall from a cliff as they “ran away from law enforcement.”

According to the governor’s office, Şiban and Turgut displayed suspicious behavior and resisted detention afterward in the proximity of an anti-terror raid on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an armed secessionist group listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, European Union and the United States.

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from SCF