The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled that the imprisonment of Akın Ozturk, former commander of the Turkish Air Force, is arbitrary and violates international law, calling for his immediate release, according to the Stockholm Center for Freedom.
The UN Human Rights Council’s panel found that Ozturk was denied a fair trial, subjected to mistreatment, and convicted based on flawed legal proceedings. It urged the Turkish government to release him immediately and provide compensation in line with international law.
The ruling, issued during the panel’s 100th session in August 2024, was made public on Wednesday, Ozturk now 72, was arrested on July 17, 2016, two days after the failed coup attempt, despite initial reports stating that he had tried to prevent the coup.
The UN panel found that Turkish authorities failed to provide credible evidence linking Ozturk to the coup, instead relying on coerced testimony, unreliable witnesses, and manipulated or withheld evidence. His trial was marred by serious due process violations, including his arrest without a warrant, extended solitary confinement, and physical and psychological abuse while in custody.
According to the findings, Ozturk was subjected to torture after his arrest, including severe beatings, forced nudity, acid poured on his fingernails, and prolonged sleep deprivation. He was denied legal representation of his choice and was instead assigned a state-appointed lawyer with whom he had no prior contact. Key evidence that could have supported his defense, such as surveillance footage, was either altered or withheld, while coerced witness statements were admitted in court. The panel also criticized the Turkish judiciary for failing to exclude evidence obtained through torture and for disregarding statements from other defendants that could have supported Ozturk’s case.
The UN body urged Turkish authorities to investigate the violations in Ozturk’s case and take action against those responsible. In response to the UN inquiry, the Turkish government denied the allegations, insisting that Ozturk’s trial adhered to legal standards. However, the panel rejected these claims, stating that Turkey had failed to refute credible evidence of human rights violations and due process failures. It also emphasized that Turkey’s post-coup state of emergency did not justify the legal violations in Ozturk’s case.
The UN panel called for an independent investigation into Ozturk’s detention and the broader judicial process in Turkey, citing a pattern of arbitrary imprisonments since the failed coup. It also recommended that Turkey allow international observers to assess conditions for detainees.
Despite multiple appeals, Ozturk remains in solitary confinement in an Ankara prison. The panel noted that his prolonged isolation exceeds international human rights standards and amounts to cruel and inhumane treatment.
Ozturk was accused of playing a leading role in the 2016 coup attempt, which resulted in more than 250 deaths and thousands of injuries. He denied the allegations but was sentenced to life in prison in 2017.
Following the coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his government blamed the faith-based Gulen movement, which strongly denies any involvement. The late Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen was named as the alleged mastermind in the indictment, with Ozturk listed as the second suspect.
Images of Ozturk surfaced on July 16, 2016, showing him and other military officers visibly injured, with wounds on his face and body and a bloodstained T-shirt—injuries he claims resulted from abuse in custody. He later reported being subjected to repeated beatings and other forms of humiliation and violence.
In the wake of the coup attempt, the Turkish government launched a widespread crackdown on media, public servants, judiciary members, teachers, and military personnel. Arrests and purges intensified under the state of emergency declared on July 20, 2016, granting Erdoğan broad powers to govern by decree.
Reports from human rights organizations have consistently raised concerns about torture, abuse, and inhumane conditions in Turkish detention centers. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other groups have documented cases of severe beatings, sleep deprivation, electric shocks, and coerced confessions. Many detainees have been denied access to legal representation and medical care.
The UN working group has requested an update on the implementation of its recommendations within six months, the Turkish Minute writes.
