34 people out of a total of 46 persons in police custody were arrested on Saturday (26 November) in Istanbul in the context of the most recent operations against the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK), the umbrella organization that includes the armed outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The arrested people were part of a group of 46 people in total, 41 of whom were lawyers, who were taken into police custody last week.
Public Prosecutors Adnan Çimen and İsmail Tandoğan took their statements at the Istanbul Courthouse. They were then taken to the 11th High Criminal Court on Duty upon the request to arrest 43 of them.
Lawyers accused of passing on orders of PKK leader Öcalan
The Istanbul court decided to arrest 34 out of 43 persons, almost all of them lawyers (33). Nine people were released pending trial.
A total of 46 people, including 41 lawyers, were taken into police custody in the scope of operations carried out simultaneously on 22 November (Tuesday). They were interrogated at the General Police directorate till Friday (25 November). After that, they were taken to the Istanbul Courthouse in Beşiktaş.
Prosecutors Çimen and Tandoğan requested the arrest of 43 persons under allegations of "membership of an illegal organization" and "directing an illegal organization". Thereupon, the suspects were taken to court.
Arrest warrants were issued about 34 people. However, all of them refused to defend themselves at court. Also their lawyers did not present any defence putting forward that the court was biased and not independent. The lawyers appointed to their defence by the Istanbul Bar Association were not accepted by the defendants.
The arrested lawyers stand accused of having forwarded orders of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to the Qandil Mountain, the location of the PKK's base in Northern Iraq.
36 people arrested in Diyarbakır
Another 43 people were arrested in KCK operations carried out at the same time in Diyarbakır. 36 of them were arrested this weekend and detained in prison.
As reported by T24, four of the suspects were released subsequent to the interrogation at the prosecution. 36 people, among them Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Diyarbakır Provincial Deputy Chair Ömer Önen, Bağlar Municipality Deputy Mayor Derya Tamriş and BDP Bağlar District Chair Ali Yüce, were arrested by a court on duty on charges of "membership of an illegal organization" and "praising crime and a criminal". (EKN/VK)
