A prominent transgender equality activist in Turkey was murdered in front of her home in central Istanbul this week, reports Human Rights Watch. LGBT rights group Lambda Istanbul claims Ebru Soykan had been repeatedly threatened and beaten by the man who is now in police custody as the murder suspect. She had complained to police several times, and asked for a restraining order against him, but police had failed to act – a failure which cost her life. "The Turkish police have a duty to respond to all credible threats of violence, whoever the victim," said Juliana Cano Nieto, LGBT researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Investigating violence against LGBT people, prosecuting suspects, and passing effective legislation to ensure equality are all critical to ensuring that these murderous abuses end." Soykan is the second member of the Lambda Istanbul group to be murdered in the past year.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Saturday, 14th March 2009 - 7:52am