Penalty for Violent Police Officers: 30 Lira

The administrative investigation into the violent treatment of Fevziye Cengiz at the Izmir Karabağlar Police Station was completed. Two police officers had treated her violently while she was hand-cuffed.

As the result of the administrative investigation, it was decided to claim a reduction of severance pay worth a 12-month salary for the police officers and to reject a disciplinary penalty.

This means that TL 30 (€ 12) will be deducted from their monthly salary and that they will be retired one year later than expected.

Cengiz's lawyer Hanife Yıldırım said that they had not been notified about the result of the investigation but learned about it from the newspapers. She pointed to the probe as an administrative process and announced that the legal process was still continuing.

Yılıdrım criticized that the penalty was "like a reward". She declared to file an appeal and to go as far as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) if necessary.

"This incident was not assessed as torture and ill-treatment as we claimed from the very beginning. It was evaluated as "beating of persons brought to the police station" instead. This penalty is in fact more like a reward", Yıldırım claimed.

"The punishment in the context of investigations related to torture and ill-treatment goes as far as being removed from office. (...) We are going to file an appeal. If necessary, we will get together with the other lawyers later on and apply to the ECHR".

"The treatment applied is clear and the camera records are an objective proof".

"We claimed that this case was not a simple injury but torture. The result of our claim will be determined on 15 February".

What happened?

Fevziye Cengiz was taken into custody on 16 July 2011 in Izmir because she did not carry her ID at a night club in Izmir. She was taken to the Karabağlar Police Centre where she was treated violently.

Cengiz went to the prosecutor's office the next morning and filed a complaint about the police officers. The police officers in turn complained about Cengiz stating that she "assaulted" them.

Footage of the incidents leaked to the media on 9 December 2011. Thereupon, police officers Hakan Yörük and Beyit Sezgin and an officer of the Karabağlar Police officer who watched the incident were suspended from office.

A trial was opened against Fevziye Cengiz because she allegedly "insulted the police officers, hit and scratched their arms with her hand and pushed them". She is facing imprisonment of up to 6.5 years. The prison sentences sought for the police officers amount to five years and nine months. (ÇT)