Police torture 4 young people detained in Van

The young people named Yakup Pekel, Ersin Pekel, Muhammed Balıkçı and Civan Şakar, who live in the Hacıbekir (Xaçort) neighbourhood of Van, were stopped by an armoured police vehicle waiting in front of the Van Lake Primary School on 20 March, while they were going to the house of their relatives, Fesih Pekel, to buy hay for their animals.

The police, who first checked the identity cards of the young people but could not find any criminal records, said that they would search for the vehicle after the photo of Ahmet Kaya they saw in the vehicle.

The young people in the vehicle said that they wanted to remain in the car during the search and that they would not move away from the vehicle.

After the discussion, the police started beating the young people. Fesih Pekel had a heart attack when the police hit him on the heart with the butt of a gun.

The residents of the neighbourhood provided first aid to Pekel. Then the people of the neighbourhood called for an ambulance, but the police did not allow it to intervene.

The police took Yakup Pekel and 3 people to the TEM Branch Office.

The 4 people who were tortured by the police have been held in the Van Police Department TEM Branch for 5 days.

Fesih Pekel and Naci Şakar, relatives of those detained after the incident, applied to the Van Branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), while Reşat Pekel applied to the Van Bar Association Human Rights Commission.