İbrahim Halil Ercan (30) was detained during raids in the Bismil district of Diyarbakır (Amed) on 6 April. The details of the investigation file revealed that a Turkish prosecutor considered Ercan’s bakery and barn as signs that obviously showed that he was a member of, a terrorist organisation, Mesopotamia Agency reports.
Ercan was blindfolded and his head was covered by a plastic bag by the police who detained him.
It was also reported that the police showed Ercan some ammunition, allegedly found in his house, and threatened him by saying, “You will accept that these belong to you otherwise we will kill you.”
Ercan’s lawyer claimed that his client has been tortured for hours during the time in police custody before he was sent to prison.
“My client has stated that he has been subjected to ill-treatment for around 8 days and this is also confirmed by the medical reports. My client also stated that he was even threatened with rape by an officer during his lawyers meeting,” said Ercan’s lawyers.
Bakery and barn considered ‘suspicious’
The prosecutor claimed that the gun of special Sergeant Hüseyin Sarı, who was killed during Turkey’s operation on Mount Gare in Iraq, was found in Ercan’s home.
The prosecutor stated in the investigation file that the fact that Ercan owns 40 animals in his barn and runs a bakery is “suspicious”. These were claimed by the prosecutor as against the “usual routine of life”.
Ercan’s attorney noted that during the time that the soldier whose gun the prosecutor claims he had was killed, his client was already in prison (he was detained for political reasons for 4 years). However the Bismil Criminal Court still ruled Ercan’s arrest on charges of “terrorism”.