ISTANBUL, TURKEY
35 members of the HDP Youth Assembly were detained and held at the Istanbul Vatan Police Headquarters for 8 days before being transferred to the Çağlayan Courthouse.
Of the 35 young people who were subjected to torture during the detention,15 were released on condition of judicial sureveillence while 20 were referred to the interrogation judiciary with a request for arrest.
HDP Istanbul Organization members poured in to the court room and organized an action demanding the immediate release of the youth. HDP Istanbul provincial co-chairmen Erdal Avcı and Elif Bulut, as well as many HDP executives and members participated in the action, where young people and families took part.
‘OUR WORKS WANT TO BE BLOCKED’
In the protest that took place under the fascist Turkish police blockade, slogans such as “The oppressions cannot intimidate us, We will win resisting, HDP is hope, hope is stronger than ever” were shouted.
In his speech, HDP Istanbul Provincial Organization Co-Chair Erdal Avcı emphasized that “these arbitrary detentions are intended to prevent the work of the HDP. ”
Müslüm Kocaoğlu, a lawyer of the Platform for Freedom of Lawyers (ÖHP), stated that his clients who were detained on 8 November 2019 were detained for 4 days and then they were given an additional 4-day detention.
“Today 35 young people were referred to the prosecutor’s office, 15 of them were released with judicial control, 20 of them were referred to the judiciary requesting arrest,” said Kocaoğlu demanding the youth be released immediately.
Kocaoğlu explained that his clients were tortured during the detention process, and stated that they would file a criminal complaint against the police.
