Broadcast ban placed on reports of Kurdish men thrown from army helicopter

Duvar English

A broadcast ban has been imposed by prosecutors on news reports concerning the throwing of two Kurdish men from a military helicopter while under detention in the eastern province of Van.

Kurdish man dies after being thrown from military helicopter in Turkey's east

The ban was placed following a decision handed down by Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The prosecutors also ordered a confidentiality order with regards to the investigation file.

Witnesses said that two men named Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut were thrown from a helicopter after being detained in an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Van’s Çatak on Sept. 11.

While Şiban was discharged from hospital and still suffers from memory loss, Turgut lost his life at hospital on Sept. 30.

Amid strong suspicions that the two men were tortured by soldiers conducting the “Lightning 10 – Norduz” operation, prosecutors launched an investigation into the incident.

According to hospital records, the two men were brought to the hospital for “getting injured after falling from a helicopter.”

Medical reports also featured the phrase “falling from a high place.”