‘You cannot portray people as “terrorists” just because they did not stay silent’

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The Human Rights Association (İHD) Ankara Branch has made a statement about the recent arrest of six people who were protesting in Yüksel Street in the capital city to "get their jobs back."

"You cannot portray them as 'terrorists' just because they did not stay silent and sit in a corner. Release these unjustly arrested people immediately," the statement of the association has read.

CLICK - They have been arrested 'because they protested intensively'

Six people who had been protesting in Yüksel Street in Ankara "to get their jobs back" were arrested on August 22. In the ruling of arrest given by the judgeship, it has been indicated that "they continued protesting intensively despite previous judicial control measures."

Mehmet Dersulu, Armağan Özbaş, Acun Karadağ, Nazan Bozkurt, Mahmut Konuk and Alev Şahin, who was protesting in Düzce, have been arrested by the Ankara 5th Penal Judgeship of Peace "by also considering the appropriate sentence to be given as a result of their protests."

'They are deprived of their citizenship rights'

As reported by the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), İHD Ankara Branch executive Melike Giray has noted that the protesters were battered and detained in front of Human Rights monument in Yüksel Street almost everyday, they were fined as per the Law on Misdemeanor and they suffered most from the Statutory Decrees, which led to their discharge from public service following the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Other highlights from the statement are as follows:

"After July 15, 2016, almost 140 thousand people were deprived of their jobs by Statutory Decrees. The Statutory Decrees did not only lead the discharged to lose their jobs, but they were also deprived of their citizenship rights. They were alienated, set back and insulted.

"Over a thousand academics and teachers who had nothing to do with the struggle for power within the state were dismissed from universities and schools because they demanded social peace and expressed this demand by signing a joint statement. A legal action was taken against almost 500 thousand people and over 50 thousand people were arrested.

"Of the arrested, 17 thousand were women. According to last year's data, almost 843 babies live in prisons with their mothers. Dozens of sick people died in prisons because they were not referred to hospital on time. 46 people unjustly discharged by Statutory Decrees took their own lives.

"The State Emergency Commission acts as if it was a notary appointed to fulfil the demands of the government. As of June 28, 2019, the Commission concluded 77 thousand 900 of 126 thousand 200 applications, accepting only 6 thousand of them. 93 percent of the applications were rejected.

"Stigmatizing people who seek justice as 'terrorists' does not whitewash the power-holder who recklessly violates human rights. You cannot make a terrorist out of health specialist Mahmut Konuk, who is over 60 and has severe health problems, or from teacher Acun Karadağ, who has serious health problems with a cardiac pacemaker.

"Similarly, you cannot portray the people, whose place for demanding their rights is known, let alone their residential addresses, as 'terrorists' just because they did not stay silent and sit in a corner."

Concluding the statement, the İHD Ankara Branch has made a call for the immediate release of arrested "Yüksel resisters." (AS/SD)