Baskın Oran Receives Another Threat From The Turkish Revenge Brigade

06-10-2008

Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran, one of the leading figures in defense of the minority and cultural rights in Turkey, has received another threat mail from the Turkish Revenge Brigade.

Bia news center - Ankara

Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran, a former member of the Prime Ministry’s Human Rights Advisory Board (BİHDK), has received another threat message sent and signed by the Turkish Revenge Brigade (TİT). The message was sent as an e-mail.

Although Oran had filed a complaint with the prosecutor regarding the first threat five months ago, nothing has happened yet. “You cannot gain anything by filing a complaint with the State against us”

On May 30, Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran was threatened by the TİT after his acquittal by the court for the case about the “Minority Report and the Cultural Rights Work Group Report”.

The second message told Oran that he could not gain anything by filing a complaint with the State against them, that they were still outside. It was an “abstract allegation”, but no protection was given; now a police officer is protecting him

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, had appeared on threat messages to “Istanbul Free Radio”, artist Ferhat Tunç and Eren Keskin and lawyer .

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

A person who sent Oran similar messages is on trial at Ankara’s 4th Criminal Court of First Instance. (EÖ/TB)