TJA Spokesperson Gökkan detained upon arrest warrant

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Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) Term Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan was taken into custody yesterday (January 27).

Standing trial on charges of "leading a terrorist organization" and "being a member of a terrorist organization", Ayşe Gökkan had her final hearing on Tuesday (January 26). The heavy penal court ruled that Gökkan should be arrested. An arrest warrant was issued against her.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Gökkan was taken into custody from her house in Gaziler town in Kayapınar, Diyarbakır in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern region. She was then taken to the Counterrorism Branch of Diyarbakır Provincial Security Directorate.

Her attorneys said that Gökkan would be held in the Counterterrorism Branch at night and sent to prison after standing before the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court, which ruled for her arrest the other day.

The attorneys also appealed to the upper court, the Diyarbakır 10th Heavy Penal Court, and objected to the arrest warrant.

'She was detained for 83 times'

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Women's Assembly denounced the arrest warrant on its Twitter account. Arguing that the warrant against Gökkan was a sign of misogyny, the assembly said that the arrest warrant was "null and void" and added: "We cannot silence Gökkan with force; she was detained for 83 times before, served years in prison, but has never taken a step back from women's struggle for freedom." (EKN/SD)