Tayfun Kahraman, of the eight prisoners from the Gezi Park trial, was allegedly subjected to mistreatment while en route to a routine neurological checkup for multiple sclerosis (MS) on Aug 29.
His wife, Meriç Demir-Kahraman, took to social media to detail the incident, claiming that the officers escorting her husband tightened his handcuffs excessively, causing pain and injury.
She also reported that the officers defied legal procedures by refusing to leave the examination room, even after requests from both the doctor and Kahraman himself.
“Who are these people, defying laws? And whose orders are they following?" she questioned in her post.
Reactions
The alleged mistreatment has ignited criticism from opposition politicians and professional organizations. Özgür Özel, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), condemned the incident as "neither legal, moral, nor humane," vowing to hold those responsible accountable.
Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, deputy chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party parliamentary group, went further, labeled the treatment as “torture” and a “crime against humanity.”
The İstanbul Chamber of City Planners and the İstanbul Medical Chamber also issued strong statements denouncing the violence and calling for accountability. Both organizations pledged to take legal action against those involved.
The Gezi Park case
Kahraman is among eight defendants sentenced in connection with the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which began as an environmental demonstration and grew into countrywide anti-government protests.
In April 2022 the İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court sentenced philanthropist Osman Kavala to aggravated life imprisonment for attempting to overthrow the government, while Kahraman and other activists received 18-year prison sentences for aiding the attempt.
In September 2023, the Court of Cassation, the top appeals court in the country, upheld the sentences of five defendants, including Kahraman and Kavala, while overturning verdicts for the three others. (VK)