Amnesty to Protest Turkish Violations

Amnesty International members are tabling outside Leverett House's production of "Hair" this weekend, asking playgoers to sign petitions demanding the release of political prisoners in Turkey.

While Amnesty members have frequently tabled in the Yard, this is the first time in memory that the organization's Harvard chapter has mobilized for an arts performance.

The directors of the psychedelic 1960s musical, which opened last night, initially approached Amnesty "because of the show's political and social agenda," according to Amnesty co-president Bella K. Sewall '97.

The musical is about protesting against the Vietnam War and escaping the draft.

The petitions collected by Amnesty criticize human rights violations by the Turkish government, said Benjamin F. Zaitchick '98, Amnesty's other co-president.

"Law in Turkey makes freedom of the press illegal," said Zaitchick, who said members of the media perceived as anti-government can be imprisoned for up to 15 days without charges and are usually tortured.

According to Sewall, Amnesty is seeking the release of many Turks imprisoned under this law.

Mensure Yuksel Erdohan is one such prisoner, Sewall said. A female journalist, Erdohan was imprisoned in December 1995 on charges that the Kurdish newspaper for which she worked was an illegal organization.

At her arraignment, Erdohan told the judge that her detainers stripped her naked, then proceeded to sexually assault her and administer electric shock treatment.

The purpose of the petition in her case, according to Sewall, is to notify the Turkish government that "the judge prevented the proper registering of the complaint," and to ask for an investigation of Erdohan's charges.

Sewall said that Erdohan's case is not an anomaly. Students who approach the table will learn about other examples of political repression and torture in Turkey and other nations, she said.

Although Zaitchick said he is not sure yet on which countries Amnesty will focus besides Turkey, he suggested that the club may petition against human rights violations in Mexico.

Zaitchick said Amnesty members will table at most, but not all, of the performances.