Tortured Activists Released After The Third Application

Today, the 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance of Sarıyer in Istanbul ruled for the release of Cihan Gün, Özgür Karakaya and Aysu Baykal, who were taken into custody together with Engin Ceber who died of bad treatment in prison a few days ago.

Lawyer Oya Aslan said the release came after their third application:

“We had first objected to the decision for their arrest. This was denied. After this, we asked for their release. Although the release was accepted for Engin Ceber who was at the hospital at the time under intensive care, it was refused for Gün, Karakaya and Baykal on the grounds that the process of collecting the evidence was not completed yet. We had objected to this decision. Yesterday (October 14), after the statements of the four police officers were taken, they ruled for their release, since all the evidence was collected and there was no chance of tampering with them any longer.”

Ceber was taken into custody with three of his friends at Istinye Station on September 28 for protesting that the police officer who shot and paralyzed Ferhat Gerçek was still not arrested. He was later arrested for “resisting police,” put into Metris Prison and died in the Şişli Etfal Hopital he was taken to after he went to coma on October 10. His friends Cihan Gün and Özgür Karakaya, with whom he was taken into custody, told Bakırköy prosecutor Cevdet Doğan in detail that they were tortured both in the police centers and Metris Prison.

Minister of Justice Mehmet Ali Şahin apologized from the relatives of Engin Ceber on behalf of the State and the Government for his death. The Minister of Justice has also announced his inspectors determined that Ceber had been subjected to bad treatment. Total of nineteen officials from the Metris Prison, including the prison doctor, have been removed from their posts temporarily. (TK/TB)