Two children detained after an action against an armored vehicle on July 24 in Amed’s Yenisehir district were tortured in an empty lot they were taken to.

Mother of one of the boys, Fatma A., spoke to the Mesopotamia Agency and said: “My son was battered so much that he lost consciousness.”

Raids were held after an action against an armored vehicle on July 24 in the Yenisehir district’s Sehitlik neighborhood and M.A. (17) and A.E. were detained as they were sitting in front of a shop in the same district.

M.A. and A.E. were taken to an empty lot along the Amed-Silvan road and tortured, reports say. The two children were then taken to the Diyarbakir Police Directorate Anti-Terror Unit and tortured again.
On July 25, M.A.’s 16 year old brother M.A. was also detained. Both brothers and A.E. are being held in the Minors Unit.

M.A.’s mother Fatma A. spoke about the torture the children were subjected to after their detention.

A. said she was at home when she found out: “When we heard of the detention, I went straight to the Minors Unit. They said they didn’t have him. As I was leaving, I saw my son’s friend in a squad car outside. His face was all messed up. He couldn’t stand up straight. There were bruises on his face.”

CHILDREN TAKEN TO ANTI-TERROR UNIT INSTEAD OF MINORS UNIT

Fatma A. was able to find out where the children were due to the insistence of the families and their lawyers: “We found out that they were in the Anti-terror Unit. I told them my son was a minor, he shouldn’t be there. Then I went to the unit. They first said they didn’t have him. They sent us on a wild goose chase, while our children were being tortured. After midnight, when the lawyers went in, the children were taken to the Minors Unit.”

Fatma A. found her son showing physical signs of torture in the Minors Unit: “His face was covered in blood. I tried and tried but they didn’t let me near my son. When I saw him, he was dragging his feet, he couldn’t walk properly. The next day the lawyer was able to meet with my son, but he wasn’t well enough to express himself. Then I met with him. When I hugged him he said, ‘Mom, stop, it hurts all over.’ It was like his ribs were broken. He told me they were taken to an empty lot, stripped down and beaten with the butt of the police officers’ guns and some kind of metal object. They were insulted and the police told them it was their last chance before they would kill them.”

HOSPITAL REFUSES TO GIVE BATTERY REPORT

Fatma A. said her son had bruises on his legs, arms and torso: “They took my son to the public hospital first, and then to the military hospital. But the hospitals didn’t give him a battery report. He was beaten up so badly that he was losing consciousness. I fear even if he is released, he won’t be the same. My child is in a horrible condition. There is proof that my son was by the shop he was detained from at the time of the incident, but they still make him wait and my son is subjected to torture constantly.”

Fatma A. said the family had their home raided in the past too, and that policemen put a gun to her 9 year old daughter’s head: “My daughter is suffering. When a car turns the corner or the door rings, we all fear it’s the police again. Enough already, we want this tyranny to end. We will seek our legal rights. We will go to the ECHR if necessary. We will not remain silent.” Fatma A. called for support from human rights organizations and NGOs.