Former hunger striker, academic Nuriye Gülmen sentenced to 10 years in prison

Click to read the article in Turkish

Nuriye Gülmen, who was participating in the "I want my job back" protests after being dismissed from public office, and Yasemin Karadağ, have been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The İstanbul 28th Heavy Penal Court today (May 25) convicted the two of "being a member of a terrorist organization."

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputies Züleyha Gülüm and Musa Piroğlu were also in the courtroom to follow the hearing.

"Law of enmity"

Gülmen, who was alleged to have conducted a hunger strike upon instructions form the organization, said, "What we have done is being tried to be portrayed as a crime by adding 'instruction from the organization' to our protests for seeking our rights.

Starting the protests after being dismissed by a statutory decree during the period of state emergency following the July 2016 coup attempt, Gülmen had been detained by the police dozens of times. Between April 2017 and January 2018, she carried out a hunger strike together with Semih Özakça.

Karadağ and Gülmen

"A law of enmity was clearly practiced against our resistance. We were detained, tortured, lawsuits were filed against us, and we were arrested.

"The reason for these attacks is the crisis that the ruling power has found itself in. No one can say anything when it comes to 'terror.' But it isn't even a legal concept. Each country define those whom it perceives a threat as 'terrorists.' Once you say 'terrorists,' you legitmize anything you do.

"We are in the top three in the world in terms of the number of those who are under arrest for 'terror' crimes. Yet 'terror' operations are still carried out; hundreds of people are detained almost every week.

"The real terror is wht those who attack our human dignity do. The real terrorism is the state using all of its means against the people, treating everyone as a potential 'terrorist.'

"The judiciary has become the stick of the AKP [the ruling Justice and Development Party] directly. However, law is also an instrument to legitimize the bourgeois state."

Yasemin Karadağ said, "[They say] I chanted, 'Grup Yorum [music band] is the people, it cannot be silenced.' I even got on the stage during a Grup Yorum concert. Millions of people chant this slogan. Is it a crime? We want you to be resolute in terms of complying with the laws. We want our release and acquittal."

Announcing its final decision, the court sentenced Karadağ and Gülmen for being a member of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). (AS/VK)