Teachers Protesting Discharges Arrested for the Fifth Time

"The 111th week of our resistance; we resist for our job, bread and honor;

"long live our Bakırköy resistance"

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Teachers Nursel Tanrıverdi and Selvi Polat, who were discharged from civil service by a statutory decree during the State of Emergency and have been protesting discharges at Bakırköy Square in İstanbul since then, were arrested for the fifth time yesterday (May 14).

The teachers were arrested and released for four times before on charge of "organizing illegal protest demonstrations" and detained for more than 30 times during their two-person protest demonstrations at Bakırköy Square.

For that reason, Tanrıverdi and Polat appealed to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) via their attorney Ferdi Yamar and filed a complaint against the judges of peace and prosecutors in Bakırköy Courthouse.

CLICK - Teachers Protesting Discharges Appeal to Council of Judges and Prosecutors

They also filed a criminal complaint against police officers on the ground that they were subjected to torture and ill treatment while being detained.

CLICK - Teachers Protesting Discharges File Complaint Against Police for Torture

Teachers Tanrıverdi and Polat were detained again on May 13 and arrested by the penal judgeship of peace yesterday.

Having been arrested and released for four times since they started their protest, the teachers have been acquitted by all six different courts where they were tried on the same charge.

What happened?

Teachers Nursel Tanrıverdi and Selvi Polat, who were discharged by a Statutory Decree, have been staging protests with the slogan "We want our job" at the Bakırköy Square in İstanbul on every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday since January 20, 2017. Since the day when they started their protests, they have been taken into custody for many times.

In the 74th week of their protests, the teachers were detained again. Though they were released on probation after being taken into custody, in the verdict of the court, there was a sentence, stating that Tanrıverdi and Polat were banned from approaching the square more than 200 meters.

The teachers stated that they would not recognize the ban and attempted to make a statement for the press at the Bakırköy Square on August 13, 2018. During the statement, the teachers were taken into custody again and an international travel ban was imposed on them.

After Tanrıverdi and Polat tried to make another statement for the press, they were arrested on August 21, 2018. Teachers were released on September 6 after being arrested for almost two weeks. The ban of not approaching the square more than 200 meters was also lifted by the court.

While the teachers were acquitted of the charge brought against them due to their protests on February 14, the Bakırköy 2nd Penal Judgeship of Peace has previously imposed a ban of not approaching Bakırköy Square more than 100 meters on February 5, 2019.

Having been arrested and released for four times since they started their protest, the teachers have been acquitted by all six different courts where they were tried on the same charge. (AS/SD)