The two police officers who beat up and insulted transsexual Esmeray will be tried a little more than a year later. Beyoğlu 2nd Criminal Court of Peace, where the case will be tried, has not set the hearing date yet.
According to the information Esmeray’s lawyer Meriç Eyüboğlu supplied to Bianet, the prosecutor accuses the police officers Mustafa Muhammet Çırakoğlu and Ceyhan Göven with “simple bashing and insulting.”
“Police apologized”
According to Esmeray’s account, she was stopped by a police officer while going back to her home and yelled at for taking the route forbidden to her. The yelling was followed by a punch to her eye and kicks by the other police officers when she hit the ground.
Later Esmeray decided to take the matter to the court, since “this was nothing new. Passing by the street in front of the police station (which happens to be one of the major streets in Taksim area in Istanbul and open to public) has been banned to the transvestites and transsexuals for a while.” Esmeray wanted to know if this was legal. She filed her complaint so that others would not have to go through this human rights violation again.
Later, says Esmeray, the police officer came and apologized. He was very sorry, because he did not know that she was making a living by selling mussels. Esmeray says she told him that he did not have the right to hid her even if she was not selling mussels. The police officer asked her to withdraw her complaint, but she did not.
An investigation is launched this time
Esmeray said that she also filed a complaint about the police officers who attacked her this May. Eyüboğlu said the Office of Beyoğlu Prosecutor in Istanbul launched an investigation about this incident. (TK/EZÖ/TB)
