Boğaziçi University protests | Arrested students Berke and Perit released

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Detained after protesting Naci İnci, the appointed rector of Boğaziçi University, and arrested since October 2021, students Caner Perit Özen and Ersin Berke Gök, along with their 12 friends, had their first hearing at the İstanbul 22nd Criminal Court of First Instance today (January 7).

Handing down its interim judgement, the court has ruled that Özen and Gök shall be released on probation with an international travel ban, considering the period that they have already spent behind bars.

Today's hearing began with an identity check. While arrested students Özen and Gök attended the hearing via video conference by using the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS), their families, friends, academics and opposition MPs were present in the courtroom. 

Facing charges of "deprivation of liberty", "resisting to prevent fulfilment of duty", "damaging public property" and "hijacking and deforcing land vehicles", the students made defense at their first hearing. 

'My imprisonment is political'

Taking the floor first at the hearing, where students talked about what happened on October 4, 2021 and after their detention, Caner Perit Özen said, "My imprionment is political and intended for intimidation."

He added, "There were private security guards in the area. They didn't warn me saying, 'You cannot be here.' I didn't prevent Naci İnci from getting in his car." Recalling that he is on trial for hijacking a vehicle, he said, "I don't know what to say. The indictment came to our ward a month ago. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. I was shocked, I laughed till morning. I want to thank the prosecutor's office for making me laugh." 

Özen added, "We are not only students who are deprived of their right to education or who were beaten. We have a rightful struggle. I reject the charges brought against me. I request my release."

Ersin Berke Gök, the other arrested student, said, "The torture of rear-handcuffing was committed after leaving the hospital. Then came arrest... Phsychological and physical torture, orders, the medication not given to me when I fell ill as I lost my strength since they did not give food... The courses I could not attend and usurpation of my right to education..."

Gçk briefly added: "We chanted the slogan, 'Shoulder to shoulder against fascism'. Then, we were arrested. Another face of fascism... Pushing and pulling, orders given, food not given... Absent hot water, books not given, belated delivery of course notes, the classes I could not attend... Petitions never put into process, letters not delivered...

"One may forget when one stays in a cell for 50 days. Am I arrested because I stand up against poverty and people crushing people? I will learn in a few minutes whether the imprisonment will go on or not..."

Release on probation over 90 days later

The hearing continued with the statements of other students and their lawyers. Following the statements, the court board has handed down its interim ruling. Considering the period that they have already spent behind bars, the court board has ruled that students Perit Özen and Berke Gök, arrested after protesting the appointed Boğaziçi rector, shall be released with an international travel ban and judicial control measures.

Statement for the press before the hearing

* Photo: Can Candan

Meeting in front of the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan for their arrested students before the hearing started, the academics of Boğaziçi University also made a statement for the press and demanded that "Berke, Perit and all students who are on trial be released."

Recalling that both students were arrested upon the criminal complaint of Naci İnci, who has been appointed as the rector of Boğaziçi following the dismissal of the previous appointed recor Melih Bulu, the academics raised concerns that the students now face 6 years to 32 years in prison on the offenses charged over their protests against the appointed rector.

'We will not give up'

In their statement, the academics noted that since the first rector appointment on January 2, 2021, they have come to the courthouse several times, underlining that their hundreds of students have been detained, put on trial, deprived of their scholarships or prevented from doing their MA degrees abroad due to international travel bans since then.

The academics recalled that like students, 16 academics were similarly summoned to give their statements at prosecutor's offices upon the criminal complaints filed by the appointed rectorate of Boğaziçi University.

They said, "Both our students and we, academics, have been facing attempts of making us give up on our rights guaranteed by the Constitution and stay silent with various oppressive practices for a year."

The academics stressed: "Of course, this pressure that we are subjected to is directed towards all types of dissenting opinions and voices. We recall the following truth in the face of this: Science and knowledge cannot be produced in university campuses where there is no freedom of thought and expression and fundamental rights and freedoms are not respected."

Noting that "societies with universities where no science or knowledge is produced cannot achieve welfare," the academics of Boğaziçi said, "Based on this fact, we declare that we will not give up on the ideal of a democratic, free and autonomous university or our struggle against the attempts to deprive our students and, thus, the youth of our country, of their future."

What happened?

10 students were taken into custody at Boğaziçi University in İstanbul on October 5, 2021 on the grounds that they had joined the ongoing protests against Naci İnci, the appointed rector of the university.

Three students were released from detention after giving their statements at the police station. Held in detention at night, seven students were referred to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan a day later after the related formalities had been completed at the police station.

Interrogated at the prosecutor's office, four students were released on probation while three were referred to judgeship to be arrested.

The İstanbul Penal Judgeship of Peace on Duty ruled that two students should be arrested and one should be released on probation.

The indictment demanded that 14 students be sentenced to prison on charges of "unarmed attendance to unlawful meetings and demonstrations and refusal to disperse by oneself despite warnings", "deprivation of liberty of more than one person due to public duty", "resisting to prevent fulfilment of duty" and "hijacking or deforcing land vehicles."

Rector İnci had applied to the prosecutor's office against his 14 students on charges of "threat, insult, damage to property, resisting for preventing duty and violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations." (RT/SD)