14-year-old child kidnapped, tortured by Turkish police in Amed

14-year-old child namely Y.D. was allegedly kidnapped by police while returning to his home in the Lice district of Amed. Being forced to say “I am a Turk”, the child was thrown into a swamp after being tortured by police.

 Amed (Diyarbakır)- A 14-year-old child namely Y.D. was allegedly kidnapped by police in the Lice district of Amed while returning home with a 10-year-old friend last evening. Y.D. told his family that he had been kidnapped and tortured by four police officers. “They took me to a far place. I was forced to say I am a Turk. They beat me with the buttstocks of their guns. After they tied my hands and feet, they threw me into a swamp,” the child told his family.

 Ramazan Karalp, the lawyer of the family, confirmed that the child was kidnapped and tortured by police. “The child lives in Lice. While returning home with his friend last evening, he was stopped by police. The police officers allowed his 10-year-old friend to go and took Y.D. to a far place. They beat him with the buttstocks of their guns. While they beat the child, they also ordered the child to say ‘I am a Turk’. When the child did not do what they said, they told the child to learn the Turkish national anthem by heart until tomorrow. They threatened the child by saying, ‘If you do not learn it by heart, we will shoot you in the head’. After they tied his hands and feet, they threw him into a swamp near the district. A villager found the child after hearing his voice. Then, he was immediately taken to the Lice State Hospital and then to the Faculty of Medicine of the Dicle University. The child is currently being treated at the hospital and is at risk of losing his right eye,” Ramazan Karalp said.