Appeal Made To EU Over Jailed Gay Turkish Conscript

31/12/2005 | Writer: KAOS GL

365Gay.com

Turkish LGBT rights groups have appealed to the European Union to investigate the treatment of a gay pacifist jailed for refusing to serve in the military.

In a letter to the Members of the European Parliament the groups - Kaos, Lambda Istanbul, and Rainbow Antalya - say that Mehmet Tarhan is facing an anal examination to prove he is gay.

There are allegations that prison guards have encouraged other prisoners to repeatedly beat, humiliate and threaten Tarhan with death, even in front of his lawyer.

He was first jailed on April 8. When he appeared in court in June human rights observers said Tarhan could not walk properly and his body was covered in bruises.

Under Turkish military law homosexuality is considered a psychosexual disorder and those who have this
Tags: human rights