İSTANBUL, TURKEY
ESP co-chair Özlem Gümüştaş and and SKM members were detained on the grounds of “having a meeting in a house.”
The co-chair of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), Özlem Gümüştaş, the spokesperson of the Socialist Women’s Assembly (SKM) Deniz Aktaş, members of ESP-SKM Çiçek Otlu, Satiye Ok, Ebru Yiğit, Züleyha Mangan, Ezgi Bahçeci, Tanya Kara and HDP Edremit provincial co-chair Sevgi Özdem Altınoluk were detained in Balıkesir on Sunday morning. The reasons for the arrest became clear later in the day.
Lawyers reported that the SKM members came to Balıkesir to discuss a series of women’s initiatives as well as the political developments, the Istanbul Convention and Law No. 6284. At the same time, they were to have a short holiday before returning. Lawyers stated that the reason for the arrest of the 8 women was because they held a meeting in a house.
Lawyers shared that private police officers raided the house and seized computers and phones at 2.50 in the morning. Lawyers noted that a 4-day detention period was given and that their clients were in good health.
