Policeman imprisoned for torturing student

Police took Birtan Altinbas, a leftist student, into custody with three other students in January 1991. His body was found a week later.

The court convicted Ahmet Bastan, one of five officers who interrogated Altinbas, of torture and manslaughter. The court convicted and sentenced the four other officers to identical sentences in March.

One more policeman was acquitted, bringing the total number of officers acquitted in the case up to five, it was reported.

Bastan never appeared in court again after his 1998 testimony, delaying the proceedings and sparking criticism from the United States and human rights organizations which have been pressuring Turkey to wrap up the case before the statute of limitations runs out in January 2006.

The criticism apparently forced Turkish police to find and bring Bastan to court. The case is being seen as a test of the improvement of human rights in Turkey, a country frequently criticized for failing to punish torturers.

The policemen will remain free pending appeal.