Gassing the Population of a City (Hurriyet) Sedat Ergin writes for mainstream Hurriyet: “In the past three weeks the amount of gas consumed by Istanbul police points to one of the most intense and most widespread pepper gas usage practices recently in the world. No doubt we have broken a European record. I assume that the record of the amount of tear gas will have a rival for another record in the sense of rights violated because of pepper gas. According to the criteria set out by European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, and within the framework of the European Court of Human Rights ECHR, tear gas usage is subject to a series of restrictions. For example, it is forbidden to use it indoors. When used outdoors, especially because of the risks it carries for human health, it has to be used according to ‘necessity’ and ‘proportionality’ criteria. The problematic situation here is that while the police were resorting to the tear gas measure, primarily in Istanbul and Ankara, they were allowed to act with a very wide freedom of usage without any discrimination. When there was no discrimination, not only demonstrators but tens of thousands of people who were not demonstrators were also exposed to the negative effects of tear gas. When we view the victims among the demonstrators, the picture is beyond serious. Leave aside the tear gas, there are citizens who have lost their lives because of a bullet the police fired or because of blows they received. Separately, two of our citizens are in a coma fighting for their lives because of gas capsules smashing against their heads. Yes, I am aware that defining these incidents as ‘violations of rights’ is extremely light. It would be better to say that human life was simply disregarded.” So those of you who think that it is not your problem, remember this INDISCRIMINATE use of gas.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 05:04:28 +0000
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