Human Rights Researcher Detained Over Visa Infringement

The Associated Press / April 13, 2006

Turkish authorities yesterday detained a researcher from the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch over a visa infringement and could deport him -- a move the advocacy group said may be a pretext to prevent him from carrying out his work.

Briton Jonathan Sugden was taken into custody in the predominantly Kurdish city of Binol on the grounds he was carrying out research while in the country on a tourist visa. Holly Cartner, Human Rights Watch's director for Europe and Central Asia, said Sugden always traveled to Turkey on a tourist visa after being assured by the Turkish Embassy in London that it was fine to do so. "Right now we're treating this as a misunderstanding," Cartner told the Associated Press. "But we think this is a reason to prevent him from conducting research."