E/CN.4/1996/35/Add.1 page 135 720. Servet Sayan had reportedly been subjected to torture at the Second (Criminal) branch of Istanbul police headquarters in March 1992. The Government replied that a public case had been commenced at the Istanbul criminal court No. 2 against a police officer, with the charge of having tortured Servet Sayan under interrogation. The officer was sentenced to imprisonment, but the high court of appeals had reversed the decision. The case was still under way at the Istanbul criminal court No. 2. 721. Necmiye Aslanog ˘lu, a staff person of Özgür Gündem newspaper, had allegedly been tortured at Istanbul headquarters following her arrest in December 1993. The Government replied that it was established through medical reports that she had not been subjected to torture or ill-treatment. 722. Nilüfer Koç, a student in Germany of Turkish origin who was accompanying a German delegation as an interpreter, was allegedly tortured in the gendarmerie headquarters in Uludere following her arrest on 29 September 1993. The Special Rapporteur had provided new details of her alleged torture, but the Government repeated its assertion that she was not subjected to torture or ill-treatment. 723. Ibrahim Ekinci was one of a number of villagers from Ormançi, Sirnak province, who were allegedly tortured during an operation carried out by security forces on 20 February 1993. The Government replied that he and two other villagers, Tahir Çetin and Ibrahim Özkan, were taken to Diyarbakir hospital, where Ibrahim Ekinci subsequently died. An autopsy had established that his death was due to respiratory deficiency caused by pneumonia. It was established that none of the three named persons had been subjected to torture or ill-treatment. A preliminary investigation was initiated by the Eruh office of the chief public prosecutor. 724. Baki Erdog ˘an had allegedly been tortured for 11 days in Aydin police headquarters in August 1993 and had subsequently died in hospital. The Government replied that he had gone on hunger strike in detention. An autopsy revealed that his death was due to respiratory deficiency from an oedema of the lungs caused by malnutrition. It was established through medical reports that his body carried blisters. A public case was commenced in Aydin criminal court against six policemen with charge of subjecting Baki Erdog ˘an to torture or ill-treatment, but it was later decided that the case fell outside of the jurisdiction of that court and the case was referred to the Aydin high criminal court. The proceedings concerning the case were still under way. Because it was determined that there was no causal relationship between the blisters and the cause of death, no prosecution was deemed necessary against the officers for causing the death of the detainee. An objection to this decision was turned down by the Nazilli high criminal court, but a written order was issued on 18 October 1994 by the Ministry of Justice for a review of that decision. 725. Savme and S ¸ükrü Durmaz had reportedly been detained in Mardin province on 26 October 1993 by members of the gendarmerie and possibly tortured. The Government replied that they had not in fact been arrested.