The New York-based advocacy group were referring to Turgay Karaman and Ihsan Aslan, two Turkish expats who have been based in Malaysia for 13 and 15 years, respectively.
They were initially thought to have been abducted on Tuesday but Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar revealed yesterday that they were “caught for activities that threaten the safety of Malaysia” under a section of the penal code that covers terrorism and organised crime.
“There is little doubt that if they are returned to Turkey, they will face torture in detention, and if charged with crimes there, be subjected to a trial that will fall far short of fair trial standards,” HRW’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, said in a statement yesterday.
The two men were said to be linked to the Gulen movement, which is outlawed by the Turkish government.
Karaman is the principal of Time International School in Ipoh, while Aslan is a businessman. Their friends and family had lodged police reports on Tuesday over their “abduction”.
Karaman’s wife, Ayse, claimed in a video that five Malaysian men had abducted her husband, based on the CCTV footage, and that she has not received any information about him since the abduction.
“I am calling on the Malaysian government to help as he is a gentleman and never hurt anyone,” she said, adding that the couple have been staying in Malaysia legally over the past 13 years and that her husband has not been involved in any crime.
In the report, Karaman’s friend wrote: “I request that the police investigate the kidnapping and notify the immigration department to stop any attempt to remove Mr Turgay from Malaysia. I am very afraid for my safety and scared that my Turkish friends who are kidnapped and sent to Turkey will be tortured and killed.”
Yesterday, the wives of both men said they had not received any information from police, despite the police reports, on the arrest of their husbands.
“The whole time we thought he was abducted, until we were shown the tweet (from IGP Khalid Abu Bakar). We don’t even know why they were arrested, no one from the police (force) contacted us,” Ayse told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex.
“We have been here for more than 13 years, we love Malaysians. They have been like brothers and sisters to us. Malaysia is our first home and my husband’s only purpose is to educate the children here.”
Meanwhile, Aslan’s wife, Ainnurul Aisyah Yunos Ali Maricar told reporters that she had lodged a report at the Dang Wangi police station on Tuesday night, to report her husband’s disappearance.
“They said they would call if they have any information. But we didn’t receive any call from the police,” she said, adding that he has been living in Malaysia for 15 years, and runs a business selling scarves wholesale. They have three children aged between two and 10.