124 Europe and Central Asia Summary of Amnesty International’s Concerns in the Region, January – June 2007 bombing. Ali Kaya and Özcan Ildeniz, both gendarmerie officers and Veysel Ateş, an informant, had each been sentenced to prison terms in excess of 39 years for their part in the November 2005 bombing of a bookshop in the south eastern province of Hakkari. On 16 May the 9th Penal Office of the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the sentences against the officers, arguing that there had been insufficient investigation. It also recommended that the case should be heard by a military court. In a hearing on 13 June the 3rd Van Heavy Penal Court accepted the Supreme Court of Appeal’s decree in reopening the case to further investigation but rejected the judgement that the case should be heard by a military court. The next hearing was scheduled for 11 July. The killing of Ahmet and Uğur Kaymaz (update to AI Index: EUR 44/008/2007) On 18 April all four police officers charged with the intentional killing of Ahmet Kaymaz and his 12-year old son Uğur Kaymaz were acquitted. During the trial the police officers claimed that Ahmet and Uğur Kaymaz had died as a result of an armed clash and claimed to have acted in self-defence. In appealing the decision, the lawyer for the Kaymaz family claimed that the forensic medicine reports provided concrete evidence against the testimonies of the police officers and blamed the court of “failing to provide justice”. The case relates to the 21 November 2004 fatal shooting of Ahmet Kaymaz and his 12year old son Uğur Kaymaz outside their home in Kızıltepe, Mardin, in southeast Turkey. In immediate statements after the shooting, Mardin Governor Temel Koçaklar claimed that two PKK members had been killed in a clash with the security forces. Forensic reports indicate that the father and son were repeatedly shot at close range and that nine bullets had been fired into Uğur Kaymaz’s back and four bullets into his arm and hands, and that six bullets had been fired into Ahmet Kaymaz’s chest and Amnesty International stomach and two more into his hand and leg. Arrests and excessive use of force by police at demonstrations Newroz9 new year celebrations on 21 March for the most part passed without incident. However, on 21 March more than 300 arrests were made including 92 in Istanbul, 68 in Diyarbakır, and 43 in Mersin. Further arrests occurred on subsequent days. In some cases prosecutions were launched on charges of organizing illegal meetings and demonstrations. On 1 May peaceful demonstrators in Istanbul were met by police using batons and tear gas. In Istanbul police forcibly prevented protesters reaching the main square in Taksim using excessive force. At least eight journalists were among those injured by police who were accused of arbitrarily attacking journalists, bystanders and protestors alike. Relatives of 75-yearold Ibrahim Sevindik claimed that his death was caused by the use of tear gas by police. Although it was not known how many arrests were made it was thought that the number exceeded 800 in Istanbul alone. Prison Conditions (update Index EUR 01/001/2007) to AI On 22 January the Ministry of Justice published a circular substantially addressing concerns regarding isolation procedures in F-type prisons. According to the circular, a prisoner could meet with up to 19 other prisoners in groups of not more than 10 to engage in social, cultural or sporting activities for up to 10 hours per week 9 Newroz (Kurdish)/ Nevruz (Turkish) is the traditional festival of New Year in the Persian calendar which celebrates the arrival of spring at the March 21 equinox and which is celebrated especially by the Kurdish community in Turkey. AI Index: EUR 01/010/2007