All Diyarbakir Child Prisoners Released

With the release this Wednesday of 15 children from Diyarbakir prison there are no minor offenders remaining in prison in the city in relation to the wave of violence that swept through the province at the end of April.

A total of 40 children who were arrested and placed into a special annex building at Diyarbakir prison in relation to the 28 March-1 April incidents have been released from captivity since May 8. During the incidents where five children were killed when police opened fire on protestors, 213 minors were initially detained, 94 of them were then arrested. A majority of the children were subjected to torture and mistreatment under custody.

Release is not a solution

Cengiz Analay, a lawyer for the children, told Bianet that releasing the minors where they still had to face prosecution was not a solution and added "an acquittal decision needs to be taken for the children". If found guilty, the children still face up to 24 years imprisonment.

This Wednesday's hearing was monitored by The Initiative to End All Forms of Violence Against Children representatives Ezgi Koman and Emrah Kırımsoy,

In a statement after the hearing, the Initiative stressed that the children had been held in prison for 62 days in violation of their rights to life, development, protection and participation, with total disregard of their interests.

"To put children who have no relation to the incidents and who are not able to comprehend the meaning or consequences of their actions on trial is in violation of various international conventions including the United Nations Convention on Children Rights, the principle of a state of law and the judicial system for children" the statement said.

The Initiative recalled that the public case launched against the children demanded up to 24 years imprisonment for each of the minors on charged of damaging public property, violating law number 2911 and membership to an illegal organisation.

It stressed that allegations which could lead to heavy penalties for the children could impose negative examples to the judicial system which itself was a part of the system of protecting minors and said that the children concerned should be given the opportunity to use every right the system offered them and be subject to a decision that would support and protect them.

The statement invited everyone to reject violence of all forms against children whatever its source and urged for strategies that will prevent children from facing conditions of violence and conflict and suffer damages from these. (KO/II/YE)