Nuriye Gülmen: I Could At Least See The Sun in Prison

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Nuriye Gülmen, who has been on hunger strike for 224 days and is in detention on remand, appeared before the court committee for the first time at Numune Hospital.

Not being brought to the courthouse due to her medical condition but also not released, Gülmen said, “I will not make a statement for defense under these circumstances”.

Murat Yılmaz, who is one of the lawyers for Semih Özakça, who is also on hunger strike with Gülmen, explained the latest process to bianet:

“Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court ordered them to be brought to the courthouse in the previous hearing, and if they cannot be brought there they will give their depositions wherever they are.

“When Numune Hospital stated that Gülmen couldn’t go to the courthouse since she was in a critical condition, the court committee came to the hospital. A hearing was held that we lawyers attended as well.

“Nuriye Gülmen said that she wouldn’t give a deposition given the conditions, the court committee is also responsible for what she has been going through and she would make her statement of defense when she is discharged and the conditions are correct.

“Nuriye Gülmen said her current conditions are very bad; she could at least see the sun when she was in prison. She lost so much weight that she is skin and bones”.

About Gülmen and Özakça

Nuriye Gülmen was employed at Eskişehir Osmangazi University.

After her contract was not renewed, she brought a lawsuit and won. Seven months later, she started to work at Selçuk University. A day after she started her job, she was suspended from her duty based on the "FETÖ-PDY (Fethullahist Terror Organization-Parallel State Structure) investigation launched into her. She was discharged on January 6, 2017 via the Statutory Decree No. 679.

Semih Özakça was a classroom teacher at Mazıdağı Cumhuriyet Primary School in Mardin. He was discharged via the Statutory Decree No. 675 over "being linked with terror organizations".

Gülmen has been in front of Human Rights Monument on Yüksel Street in the heart of Turkey's capital city of Ankara to stage a sit-in since November 9, 2016 and Özakça since November 23, 2016.

Acun Karadağ was discharged from his job on September 29, 2016 through the Statutory Decree No. 675. He has been taken into custody several times during his protest with the slogan "I want my students" held in front of his old school. He later joined the protesters in Yüksel Street who had also been discharged through statutory decrees under the State of Emergency.

On hunger strike since March 9, 2017

On March 9, Gülmen and Özakça were taken into custody and went on a permanent non—rotational hunger strike in detention.

During their resistance protest that they started in front of Human Rights Monument on Yüksel Street in Ankara, they have been detained and released several times.

On May 22, they were detained for the last time and arrested on the next day. They have been continuing their hunger strike in prison since their arrest on May 23.

On July 8, 2017, they were transferred to Sincan Prison Campus State Hospital that is located outside of Ankara after spending 46 days behind bars where they continued their hunger strike.

On September 15, the first hearing was held without the presence of the defendants as the gendarmerie refused to bring them to the court due to "health and security reasons". The court ruled that Gülmen and Özakça remain further in detention on remand.

On September 26, Gülmen was taken from Sincan Prison Campus Hospital on the 202th day of her hunger strike and was brought to intensive care unit at the Numune Hospital located at a central part of Ankara.

On September 28, second hearing of the trial was held. Gülmen was kept in intenstive care and was not brought to trial. Court ruled that Gülmen and Özakça remain in detention on remand.

The next hearing will be on October 20. (AS/TK)