Minors Standing Trial For Berkin Elvan Banner

Two minors are standing trial for opening up a banner in Istanbul’s Taksim Square that said: “We want the school record card of Berkin Elvan” - a protest that coincided around the school semester for middle schoolers in Turkey. 

On January 24, three including two minors were detained in Istanbul’s Taksim Square for opening up a banner. They were charged with violating Turkey’s Law on Public Gathering and Demonstrations by “not dispersing despite a warning”. 

Born in 1997, minors F.A.T. and Y.E. were ordered to stand trial at  Istanbul 6^th Juvenile Court.

The hearing was set to February 3, 2015 as F.A.T. was absent for an exam which eventually disabled him to testify. 

F.A.T.’s mother Gonca Yangöz reminded that the minor were detained by force. She reacted that they were detained in such a case. 

“They have chanted a couple of slogans. I am enraged by the fact that they detained them for such a reason. They did such a normal thing. They were annoyed by some situation, and they have expressed it. They didn’t hurt anybody and they didn’t have any weapons. 

“They have detained the children by pulling from their legs and hurting them. Even detaining them for such a reason has no logic.” (BK/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.