Lawyer battered, insulted by neighborhood guards in İstanbul

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Lawyer Cihat Duman has announced that he was battered by neighborhood guards in Beyoğlu, İstanbul. Duman will file a criminal complaint. 

Turkay Karataş, the attorney of Duman, has also shared the pictures showing the signs of trauma on Duman's body. Making a call to the İstanbul Bar Association, he has asked the bar to closely follow this incident.

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As recounted by attorney Karataş, when lawyer Cihat Duman witnessed the violence of neighborhood guards against people at the scene of incident, he told the guards that what they were doing was a crime.

Following these remarks, lawyer Duman himself was subjected to violence by the guards, taken to the police station in handcuffs and an action was taken against him for insulting the president.

'They didn't check my ID or inform the bar'

Lawyer Cihat Duman released a written statement about the incident today (July 6) and said that it occurred on July 5 at around 2.30 a.m.:

"While two citizens were being sprayed with pepper gas, battered and detained by a group of 10-15 persons dressed as neighborhood guards at Mis Street on İstiklal Avenue, I approached the group and said, "You will be put on trial at the Penal Court of First Instance. What you do is a crime, it is ill treatment. As I am a lawyer, I know that such behavior will definitely end up against the civil servant in Crimes of Resisting the Officer on Duty.' After I said this, I was attacked by two persons dressed as neighborhood guards.

"My hands were handcuffed behind my back. I was not reminded of my rights. No accusations were made. Even though I said that I was a lawyer, my ID was not checked and the bar association was not informed.

"When I was detained with the other two and being taken to the Beyoğlu Police Station, I asked them why I was in custody. As if getting their stories straight, they answered that I would pay the price for insulting [Interior Minister] Süleyman Soylu and [President] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This time, they twisted my arm, held me from the handcuff and snatched me from my neck, forcing me to walk in a humped position to the station.

"When the police admitted these persons dressed as neighborhood guards into the place, it was understood that the persons were indeed neighborhood guards. They did not remove the handcuffs for a long time there and did not start the interrogation for around 7.5 hours.

"Meanwhile, I was taken to the Taksim İlk Yardım Hospital and a report documenting the wounds and bruises on my body was received. On the other hand, they continued with their psychological torture by forcing to keep standing together, not allowing to talk to other victims, coming to where we were held and constantly making fun of both me and other victims.

"In the crime scene investigation report that we did not sign, 7-8 neighborhood guards cited swearwords for the President and Minister of Interior as if they had been uttered by us.

"When over 20 citizens at the scene of incident are heard and the camera footage is examined, the truth will come to light."

Lawyer Cihat Duman has also said that he will file a criminal complaint against the neighborhood guards. (AS/SD)