‘Arrested Lawyer Gökten Battered in Cell’

Click to read the article in Turkish

Kept in Tekirdağ No. 1 Type T Prison, Süleyman Gökten has told his lawyers that he and the inmates staying in the same cell were battered by guards last morning (February 26).

Speaking to bianet, lawyer Tamer Doğan and Ezgi Çakır conveyed that six of those battered in the cell were kept in room of sponge with their hands and feet handcuffed for six hours. Doğan and Çakır said that they will file a criminal complaint against the prison administration and guards.

Inmates named Ali Ülgü, Mert Avcı, Hakan Karabey, Umut Abay, Karip Polat, İbrahim Yılmaz, İsmail Kara and Murat Topçi were in the cell with lawyer Gökten.

According to Gökten's lawyers Çakır and Doğan, as many as 50 guards entering the cells for morning roll call assaulted and battered them.

Lawyer Doğan added that those who were battered weren't taken to infirmary on the pretext that there was no doctor in the prison.

"They stay in dirty and neglected cells"

Observing the battering marks herself, lawyer Ezgi Çakır stated that she met with lawyers and families of the prisoners who were battered both last night and this morning.

"They told me that the physical conditions of their cells are very bad. They are dirty and neglected. Ülgü feels sick, staying alone is not good for his health".

Stating that arbitrary disciplinary penalties were imposed on by the prison administration before this incident as well, Çakır added that lawyer Göktan, father of a 2-year-old son, was imposed four different penalties of visiting ban. 

"Arrested lawyer hasn't been given book for four months"

Stating that the prisoners haven't been given book for four months, Doğan said that the reason for this ban hasn't been explained.

27 lawyers from the Progressive Legists' Association, Law Bureau of the Oppressed, People's Law Bureau and Libertarian Legists' Platform are in detention on remand.

Lawyer Gökten has been behind bars since September 21, 2017. (AS/TK)