Bar Association Chair, lawyers taken out of the courtroom by police force

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and "membership of a terrorist organization" twice, former Nusaybin Mayor and Free Women's Movement (TJA) Term Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan appeared before the judge in Diyarbakır yesterday (September 13).

The hearing held by the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court was attended by Ayşe Gökkan herself and her lawyers.

The prosecutor's office repeated the opinion as to the accusations presented at the previous hearing and demanded Gökkan's penalization.

Gökkan: Indictment not given for 7 months

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), making her defense in Kurdish, Gökkan said that she had been in prison without defense for 7 months, adding that though her lawyers brought the indictment to prison, the prison administration did not give it to her "because it was too much."

"I could not read the entire indictment. I want to respond to the offenses charged against me one by one," said Gökkan:

"But I want additional time for the allegations that I partly know and partly do not. I want to make a defense based on what I know."

Berfin Gökkan, the lawyer of Ayşe Gökkan, intervened as her client's request was not fully understood by the court board. However, it sparked reactions of the presiding judge, who said, "Don't speak without my permission. Don't speak again if I don't give you the right to speak. Don't cross the line."

Then, the judge asked the police commander maintaining security at the hearing to bring in women police officers to the courtroom, saying, "Bring in female police. I will order out, if necessary. You will take them away if there is anyone speaking without notice. I call the shots here, it is my call."

Then, the judge ordered the lawyers out. "The lawyer of the defendant tried to speak without asking for the right to speak. The lawyers of the defendant were warned about not speaking without being given the right to speak. They were warned about not interrupting the defense of the defendant. As they disturbed the order by speaking without permission, they were warned with being ordered out," the judge had the incident written in the minutes.

'You will be chucked out'

After what happened was written down in the minutes and women police officers were placed in the courtroom, the presiding judge called the lawyers inside and told the women police officers "to chuck them out."

The court board rejected Gökkahn's request for additional time.

While Gökkan was making her defense, the presiding judge warned lawyer Özüm Vurgun, who was trying to leave the room to get some water. The judge warned her to not leave without getting permission from the presiding judge. In response to this, Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair Nahit Eren, who came to the courtroom after the first incident, said, "You have to see lawyers as the defense." The judge tried to interrupt Eren's speech.

Eren said, "If you don't interrupt me, I will listen to you after speaking." In response to this, the presiding judge told the police, "Get them out of here." As the lawyers objected, the police took Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair Nahit Eren and Bar Association's Executive Board Member Mehdi Özdemir out of the courtroom by battering them. During the ensuing commotion, one of the police officers insulted Eren by calling him "shameless, ignoble."

Gökkan's sister taken to a hospital

While the lawyers and the relatives of Gökkan, who objected to the incident, were battered out, the police tried to detain Ayşe Gökkan's niece Vedat Gökkan. They stopped after MPs and lawyers intervened.

Meanwhile, Ayşe Gökkan's elder sister Mihrican Gökkan passed out and was taken to a hospital. After these incidents, the audience was taken out of the courtroom and only the lawyers of Gökkan were allowed in the hearing. Gökkan's lawyer Muharrem Şahin said that they would not make defense due to what happened and demanded that the hearing be adjourned.

After the court board rejected this request, Gökkan requested recusal as the court lost its impartiality. The prosecutor's office said that it was done to prolong the trial and requested its rejection.The court board rejected the request "because it was not made within due time."

The court board has ruled that a criminal complaint shall be filed against the Diyarbakır Bar Association, the arrest of Ayşe Gökkan shall continue and the finalization of the rejection of the request for recusal shall be awaited. The next hearing will be held on October 20.

Making a statement in front of the courthouse, Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair Nahit Eren condemned the presiding judge's behavior. (KÖ/SD)