Turkish Revenge Brigade Threatens Minority Rights Defender Baskın Oran

Following the police protection he was given, Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran, one of the leading figures in defense of the minority and cultural rights, has now received a death threat from the Turkish Revenge Brigade.

Erol Önderoğlu

Despite the police protection and the trial these attacks receive, the intellectuals continue receiving death threats after the murder of Hrant Dink.

After his acquittal by the court for the case about the “Minority Report and the Cultural Rights Work Group Report”, Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran, a former member of the Human Rights Advisory Board of the Prime Ministry (BIHDK), has been threatened by the Turkish Revenge Brigade (TİT)with an e-mail sent on May 30.

There is swearing at Baskın Oran and Armenians in the message

Baskın Oran, who filed complaints regarding similar threats previously, told Bianet that since the name of the organization in the e-mail was seen in connection with other incidents, he was planning to file a complaint through his lawyers today (June 4).

The message, which was sent from [email protected], claims that he will be the new target. There is swearing at Oran and Armenians in the message as well.

The name Turkish Revenge Brigade, which was responsible for the assassination of Akın Birdal, who was the president of the Human Rights Association (İHD) in 1998, have appeared on threat messages to İstanbul “Free Radio”, the artist Ferhat Tunç and the lawyer Eren Keskin.

Since it was an “abstract claim”, he was not protected; now a police officer protects him

Although Baskın Oran’s pervious complaints regarding the death threats were ignored as “abstract claims”, he was given police protection after the murder of Hrant Dink.

A person who sent Oran similar messages will be on trial today (June 5) at the 4^th Court of First Instance of Ankara. However, Oran thinks that he will be acquitted of the charge, since the internet coffeehouse, from where the message was sent, was not registered.

Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kaboğlu, the publisher Necati Abay and the lawyer Eren Keskin are among those who were tried for their thoughts.

It was announced by the Minister of Justice Mehmet Ali Şahin that Zeki Özhan, who had sent a threat message to Eren Keskin from his prison cell, was “reprimanded”. (EÖ/EZÖ/TB)

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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İstanbul Üniversitesi Fransız Filolojisi Bölümü'nden mezun. 1996'da muhabiri olduğu uluslararası Sınır Tanımayan Gazeteciler (RSF) örgütünün Türkiye temsilcisi olarak çalışıyor. 1999'dan beri İPS İletişim Vakfı'nın projesi olan bianet sitesinde, Hukuki Destek Masası koordinatörü, ifade özgürlüğü editörü ve yayın yönetmeni olarak çalıştı. 4.800'den fazla imzalı haber ve makalesi bulunuyor. Bizim Gazete ve Güncel Hukuk dergisi için haber ve makaleler yazdı. Halen bianet'te Medya Gözlem Raporları'nı hazırlıyor.