Again the Same Combination: The Banner and the Prison

Two women unfurling a banner against missile shield are arrested 4 months ago with many accusations and primarily because of making "terrorist propaganda". They are going to come up before the judge on April 18^th , Wednesday.

A teacher, Meral Dönmez and a student Gülşah Işıklı unfurled a banner written "We do not want the missile shield , we want a democratic high school" on December 3, 2011 from the window of a law firm.

25-year-old Dönmez and 23-year-old Işıklı were taken into custody when Lawyer Hurşit Berk called the police. The women were under arrest on December 5, 2011 and imprisoned at Kandıra No.2 T Type Prison.

Avukat Berk first complained about the occupation of his office and the harm given to his goods but then he dropped the charge.

At the official written accusation, the women were accused due to their participation in to press release meeting organized in Kocaeli Sabri Yalım Park and their slogans like "Neither the U.S. nor the EU fully independent Turkey" and "No to missile shield"

"I used my right to democratic demonstration"

Işıklı is a student at Ankara University. She didn't deny that she shouted these slogans during the interrogation of the prosecution office and she said the things she did didn't contain element of a crime.

Işıklı stated that she didn't want any missile shield in Turkey and she supported free education.

Dönmez was graduated from Kocaeli University Faculty of Education in 2009 and giving private lessons. She stated that she was not the one who gave harm to the goods of the law office but the policemen that took them into custody did it. She said "I used my right to democratic demonstration".

Dönmez and Işıklı are in prison for 4 months.

They are on trial by the Article 220/6 of Turkish Penal Law "committing crimes on behalf of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C) without being a member of that organization" and the Article 7/2 of Anti-Terror Law "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "making a person deprived of liberty,violation of freedom of operation, violation of the inviolability of the workplace"

The first trial will be on April 18^th, Çağlayan Istanbul Palace of Justice, 15. High Criminal Court at 10:30.

1 banner, 19 months of imprisonment, 15 years of prison sentence

University students Ferhat Tüzer and Berna Yılmaz unfurled a banner written "We want free education and we'll get it" at a meeting that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was a spokesperson and right after this they were arrested.

They were both accused of being a member of the "Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C)", making propaganda on behalf of this organization and in accordance with Article 5 of Anti Terror Law "being a member of a terrorist organization". They were under arrest for 19 months and were released after the trial on October 6, 2011.

While the past prosecutor of the case, Kasım İlimlioğlu stated that their protests were in the scope of "freedom of expression" which is a constitutional right and asked for their exculpation and release, the new prosecutor Adem Özcan said that those students were "members of a terrorist organization" and he asked for up to 15 years of imprisonment.

Berna was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison due to the "Women are not slaves" banner she unfurled at International Working Women's Day, March 8.(AS)