Fifteen-Year-Old Girl Under Custody for 12 Days: 'Her Father is a Terrorist, so We Took Her Too'

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A 15-year-old girl who was detained with her parents and two siblings has been under custody for 12 days in the mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern Urfa province.

Urfa Bar Association Chairperson Abdullah Öncel, who met with the child at the Urfa Provincial Security Directorate, told bianet that she and her family were detained in an investigation related to "membership of a terrorist organization" and "aiding and abetting a terrorist organization."

"There is a practice against the law even if it is in line with the law. Besides, I think it violates the Law on Protecting the Child and the Law on Criminal Procedure," Öncel said.

"When I visited her, she was anxious and scared. When you hold a 15-year-old girl in a closed cell for 12 days, you have to think about the trauma it will cause on the child. Her statement could be taken without that much waiting. The evidence has already been collected. Such long detention is arbitrary. It also against the law that an attorney not being present while detention periods are extended," he added.

Öncel said that they expect the detained people to be sent to the courthouse and give their statements at the prosecutor's office today (July 8).

"She waited for two hours to go to the toilet"

"When I met her, she said that there was no mistreatment or battering under detention. She said she couldn't sleep and wanted a medicine from the doctor and said she used the medicine called Atarax that the doctor gave her.

"She also said that she heard the chatter of two police officers while her registration procedures were being carried out: 'One of the police officers said "Who is she?" and the other replied, "She is a terrorist. Her father is a terrorist, so she was detained too." They also said 'Who is this fucker?' for my dad.'

"She also told me she was kept waiting two hours for her need for the toilet. Her father, mother, sister, brother and two other people are under detention in the same investigation. There is no one else under 18.

"They were detained in a raid in their house in Ceylanpınar. The operation was conducted upon a notice that said there is ammunition in the yard of their house."

Öncel said that they will follow the process as the Human Rights Center for Urfa Bar Association. (AS/VK)