Person Who Shared Photo of Torture on Trial, Those Who Committed Torture Not
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Fatma Kılıçarslan, a provincial co-spokesperson of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) in Ankara, was sued for sharing a photo of those tortured in Halfeti, Urfa.
According to a statement by the Antep Bar Association, several social media accounts identifying themselves as "Special Operations Police" shared photos of dozens of people lying face down in handcuffs in what is thought to be the garden of Halfeti gendarmerie station after the clash and operation on May 18th in the affiliated Dergili neighborhood of Halfeti district.
Kılıçarslan, who shared the photos on his social media account, was investigated by the Urfa Public Prosecutor's Office on May 22. The public prosecutor's office in Urfa sent the investigation file to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office with a decision of no authority.
Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit against Kılıçarslan for "provoking people into enmity and hatred" at Ankara West Penal Court of First Instance on July 23.
The two-page indictment states that "Kılıçarslan shared a photo of people lying on the ground while being handcuffed behind the back and police officers watch them." It also includes a comment by Kılıçarslan that said, "This is Urfa... They are confident enough to openly commit torture."
İddianamede, "Soruşturma dosyasının bir bütün olarak değerlendirilmesi, şüphelinin savunmasında söz konusu paylaşımı kendisinin yaptığını ikrar etmesi, araştırma raporu kapsamında şüphelinin üzerine atılı suç işlediği yönünde kuvvetli suç şüphesi oluştuğu ve kamu davası açılması talep olunur" ifadelerine yer verildi.
The first hearing is scheduled for October 9.
"What should be included in the investigation should be the police officers, government officials who caused that photo to occur, yet we are being prosecuted," Kılıçarslan told the Mesopotamian Agency.
What happened?During an operation against the PKK, Deputy Inspector Şükrü Can Kayadibi lost his life on May 18, 2019 in Halfeti, Urfa. Two police officers, Mahmut Aykal and Ramazan Kaya, got wounded. The wounded police officers do not have a risk of death. In the statement made by the Office of the Governor, it was stated that "During a conflict in the operation in the residential area, two terrorists have been neutralized". According to the news of Mezopotamya Agency, entrance to the neighborhood was banned and an operation was conducted by the soldier and the police to the house of a citizen named F.A. around 2 a.m. It was reported in the news that a hand grenade was thrown to the house, two people claimed to be the PKK members were killed, and the house was set on fire after the removal of the corpses. According to the news based-on local sources, in a raid to the house of a citizen named Z.A. living in the same neighborhood, all members of the family have been detained. |
(AS/VK)