Infant allegedly killed by police gas grenade

[Biomiast]

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
İsmail Saymaz
ISTANBUL – Radikal
Mehmet Uytun, the 18-month-old baby who was hit in the head by a police gas grenade, has died in the hospital while under intensive care.

Police forces had intervened Oct. 9 in a demonstration in the Cizre district of Şırnak, and Uytun was on his mother’s lap at their home when a gas grenade was thrown inside the house. His parents rushed the infant to Cizre State Hospital, where he was transferred to Diyarbakır State Hospital and diagnosed with cerebral hemorrhaging.

Uytun died after 11 days at the hospital, at around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. According to his autopsy report, the cause of death is unknown.

The Governorate of Şırnak claimed that the story of the baby being hit was based on the testimony of his grandfather, who was not inside the house at that moment. Lawyer Rehşan Bataray from the Human Rights Association said the family still has the gas grenade that hit the infant and that it should be determined whether or not the victim had a burn mark on his head.

The Oct. 9 demonstration was a protest against Abdullah Öcalan, the convicted leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, being deported from Syria 11 years previously.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=infant-died-allegadly-by-police8217s-gas-grenade-2009-10-20

A depressing article, but more depressing is reaction of the media. I read the incident in a pro-Kurdish site and when I turned to look what others wrote, the mainstream media sources like Anatolia Agency either told lies about the incident or hide facts. Some say the infant was 3 years old and he took part in the protests. Well, it seems he was just in his mothers lap in the balcony of their house according to alternative sources. As if agency thought it is unreasonable to include a 18 month baby to a protest, so they said he was three years old! Other sources don't mention what happened, they just say he died.

Lawyer Rehşan Baratay(mentioned in the article) applied to come into autopsy but prosecutor didn't allow her. The autopsy report says the cause of death isn't determined. Rehşan Baratay claims she saw the dead body and she says: "There is no need to be a doctor or lawyer to know a rock can't cause such a wound."(Governorate of Şırnak claims a rock hit the boy.)

 

[Mountain Crown]

Very sad incident.

Lawyer Rehşan Baratay(mentioned in the article) applied to come into autopsy but prosecutor didn't allow her.

This says a lot IMO.