UN Rights Chief: Turkey Must Probe Shooting of Civilians

The U.N. human rights chief called on Turkey on Monday to investigate the alleged shooting of unarmed people in southeastern Turkey

A masked Turkish police officer secures a road leading to the U. S. Consulate building in Istanbul, Monday, Aug. 10, 2015. AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

GENEVA—The U.N. human rights chief called on Turkey on Monday to investigate the alleged shooting of unarmed people in southeastern Turkey that turned up in “extremely shocking” footage posted online last week.

Zeid Raad al-Hussein also voiced concern over reports that the cameraman, Refik Tekin, faces arrest over possible charges of membership in the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, when he leaves a hospital where he is treated for gunshot wounds sustained in the shooting in the southeastern town of Cizre.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein of Jordan speaks during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP