Socialist youths Mehmet Ali Genç and Metin Kösemen were detained in Urfa province 11 days ago. Both have been subject to heavy torture and while in custody at the anti-terror department of Urfa Security Directorate since July 23. The young men could meet with their lawyers under very harsh conditions due to the state of emergency. The lawyers managed to hold 3 short meetings in 6 days.

According to information gathered from Ezilenlerin Hukuk Bürosu (Law Office of the Oppressed) lawyers, the two youths have faced battery, strip searches, rape and death threats and squeezing of testicles. Lawyer Gülhan Kaya said the police officers forced Genç to drink cologne. Genç and Kösemen were held standing naked with their eyes tied with a piece of cloth and their hands cuffed behind their backs during the interrogation.

The young men went on hunger strike to protest the torture for 6 days and they were not given even sugar. Their lawyers appealed to have their clients on hunger strike receive sugar when the police told them that “the prosecutor didn’t allow sugar”. The prosecutor then transferred the young men to the hospital for forcible intervention instead of allowing them the sugar they demanded. But Mehmet Ali Genç and Metin Kösemen have refused the IV and the doctors complied with their demands and didn’t forcibly feed them. The two young men were taken back to the Urfa Security Directorate.

The youths were finally referred to prosecutor's office earlier today and they used the right to remain silent as they did at the police directorate. They were later referred to a court which ordered their arrest for alleged membership to a terror organisation.

Genç and Kösemen were sent to Urfa T Type Prison Thursday evening.