Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research Foundation
"Underestimation of the Turkmen population size in the 1920s during discussions of Mosul Issue in Lozano Negotiations and League of Nations established a base for successive Iraqi governments and now for the USA and Kurds to violate Turkmen Human Rights and marginalize them"
7. Profession and/or activity (if believed to be relevant to
the arrest/detention):
Political
Position: Representative of the Iraqi Turkmen Front of Telafer Region
8. Address of usual residence:
MosulProvince, Hey al-Ziraie. SEC.103 – St. 35
No.2, Iraq
II. ARREST
1. Date of arrest: 16.06.07
2. Place of arrest (as detailed as possible):
Tumarat
Military Camp/Telafer District/Mosul Province Iraq
3. Forces who carried out the arrest or are believed to have
carried it out:
United States Forces
4. Did they show a warrant or other decision by a public
authority? No
5. Authority who issued the warrant or decision: n/a
6. Relevant legislation applied (if known): n/a
III. DETENTION
1. Date of detention: 16.06.2007,
13:00
2. Duration of detention (if not known, probable duration):n/a
3. Forces holding the detainee under custody: United States Forces
4. Places of detention (indicate any transfer and present
place of detention):
Last
time Dr. Mahmud spoke with his family, at the end of August 2007, he was at the
BaghdadAirport
5. Authorities that ordered the detention:
American
soldiers from Telafer Airfield
6. Reasons for the detention imputed by the authorities: No reason given
7. Relevant legislation applied (if known): n/a
IV. Describe the circumstances of the arrest and/or the
detention and indicate precise reasons why you consider the arrest or detention
to the arbitrary 9/
On 16 June 2007, Iraqi Military
leadership in Telafer region called Mr. Yashar A. Mahmoud, the Representative
of the Iraqi Turkmen Front of Telafer district, with other notables from the
region for a meeting in Tumarat military camp 30 km to the north of the city.
The meeting was organized to discuss the situation in Telafer and chaired by
the Colonel Jamil, an officer in the department of military inspection. The
meeting was completed and the guests had a meal in the camp. Mr. Mahmoud was
arrested at the exit door of the camp by United States soldiers from Telafer
Airfield.
V. Indicate internal steps, including domestic remedies,
taken especially with the legal and administrative authorities, particularly
for the purpose of establishing the detention and, as appropriate, their
results or the reasons why such steps or remedies were ineffective or why they
were not taken:
The
Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) talked to the governor of Mosul. The ITF moreover met the American
Consol in Mosul.
VI. Full name and address of the person(s) submitting the
information (telephone and fax number, if possible)[1]
Subject: Urgent Appeal of Arbitrary Detention of Mr. Yashar A. Mahmoud
The Iraqi Turkmen Human Rights Research
Foundation, known as ‘SOITM’, is an institute with a focus on human rights and
democracy. It maintains regular contact with the Middle East academics,
international press, policy makers and the Human Rights organizations to
represent the Turkmen of Iraq and assist the democratization process and the
spread of civil society culture in Iraq. This communication relates to
serious and ongoing concerns about the arbitrary detention of the
Representative of the Iraqi Turkmen Front of Telafer Region, Mr. Yashar A.
Mahmoud.
On 16 June 2007, United
States forces arrested Mr. Yashar A. Mahmoud in Iraq’s northern province
of Mosul. No
warrant or decision from public authority was given nor at or after the arrest.
Despite the Iraqi Turkmen Front meeting with the American consul and the
Governor in Mosul,
the situation has unfortunately not changed.
The Turkmen are the third largest ethnic group
in Iraq
after the Kurds and Arabs. The number of Turkmen is estimated at more than 10%
of the Iraqi population. They live in the provinces of north and middle of Iraq: Mosul,
Erbil, Kerkuk, Salah al-Din, Diyala, Baghdad
and Kut. They are distinct in language and culture from both their neighbors,
the Arabs and Kurds. Yet, the Turkmen are continuously denied political rights
and systematically faced assimilation. Iraq has been a fertile ground for
arbitrary detentions, and the Turkmen have suffered tremendously from this
trend. SOITM condemns the blatant disregard of human rights
in Iraq
and Turkmen regions the arbitral detentions made in that region with no
legitimate documents or reason.
SOITM would hereby like to appeal
to Your organization to:
- Urge the Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi government authorities
in Baghdad to free
Mr. Mahmoud until any form of legitimate and recognized form of warrant or
decision explaining the detention is offered
I hope You will be able to offer due
consideration to the request contained in this letter, and take this opportunity
to offer You the assurances of our highest appreciation.
