Stop Violence Against Women


Human Rights Defenders


Eren Keskin

Turkey



Eren Keskin is a lawyer and a human rights activist in Turkey. Because she has defended alleged members of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), the Kurdish armed group in conflict with the government, she has been repeatedly harassed. The harassment includes death threats.--"We are measuring your coffin" went on one telephone message-being shot at, physical assault by a police officer and arbitrary detention and ill-treatment to prevent her doing her job.

Keskin has been involved in many highly publicized human rights defense projects, including her work with a Turkish Human Rights Association (IHD). The IHD worked to expose torture, beatings and other police abuses during the violent December 2000 raid of Turkish prisons, and aided in Keskin's legal defense of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the armed opposition group Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in court in 1999. Keskin is also one of the founders of the Legal Aid Project, an organization for women who have been raped or sexually abused in custody.

Erin Keskin was tried and imprisoned for her human rights activities in 1995. AI adopted her as a prisoner of conscience calling for her immediate and unconditional release. In 1996, she was released and her sentence was reduced to a year and one month. Since then, she has continuously been faced with numerous charges, including insulting the army, and has spent additional time in prison. Keskin continues to pursue her work as a human rights defender.

Your effort can make a difference
Please write to Turkish authorities expressing concern that human rights defender Eren Keskin, who works on the human rights issues of rape and other torture of women in custody, is being intimidated.


Please send letters to:

State Minister with Responsibility for Human Rights
Ali Dogan
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara,
Turkey


Copy to:

Embassy of the Republic of Turkey
Ambassador O. Faruk Logoglu
2525 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
Email info@turkey.org
Fax 202 612 6744