Students Hanging Banner at Shopping Mall Charged with ‘Terror Propaganda’

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Four university students from the Revolutionary Youth Associations (DGD) hung a banner on Demirören Shopping Mall on İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, İstanbul yesterday (November 11) in protest against the deaths caused by poverty and the attitude taken by the media.

In addition to the banner which read, "The system of the AKP [ruling Justice and Development Party] kills, the media of the boss hides the truths", the students also distributed flyers with one sentence written on them: "It is not depression that kills, it is the system of the AKP!'.

Shortly after this protest, the students were detained and taken to the police station in Karaköy. The prosecutor's office has decided to keep the students in custody for 24 hours. Two other people who videotaped the protest on İstiklal Avenue have also been taken into custody.

Speaking to bianet about her clients, lawyer Ezgi Önalan has stated that after the students were detained, they did not know where they were taken for a while and could not get any information about them.

Önalan has said that the depositions of the students were completed as of this morning. The students were charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" during their interrogation at the police station.

The detained are expected to be referred to court this morning. (AS/SD)