International Travel Bans of Boğaziçi University Students Lifted
* Photograph: Can Candan
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The students of Boğaziçi University, who have been charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" for having opened a banner that read "Invasion, massacre cannot be marked with Turkish delight" in protest of a group of students giving out Turkish delight at campus with respect to Afrin operation, had their second hearings at the İstanbul 32nd Heavy Penal Court in İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan today (October 3).
In the first hearing of the case, where 22 students have been tried, the court ruled for the release of 14 students. In the second hearing held today, it was stated that the case file of the eight defendants, who are known to be fugitives, have been combined with the main case file.
The court previously ruled that the international travel ban of PhD student Kültigin Demirlioğlu be lifted. In the hearing held today, the court ruled that the international travel bans of other 29 students shall also be lifted.
The requests of the students and their attorneys for being exempted from hearings due to their studies have also been accepted by the court. The request that the digital materials confiscated in the police raids be returned has been rejected by the court board on the ground that "the judicial process and investigation are still in progress."
The next hearing will be held on March 19, 2019.
The court board consisted of the Presiding Judge Onur Sert; court members Habibe Ertuğrul and Ahmet Selçuk Özkan; and Prosecutor Adnan Enez.
What happened?On March 19 (Monday) a group of students opened a stand giving out Turkish delight in North Campus following 46 soldiers losing their lives in Afrin. A group of antiwar students protested them by opening a banner reading "Invasion, massacre cannot be marked with Turkish delight". A quarrel sparked between the two groups and the stand was reportedly attacked. Justice and Development Party (AKP) Youth Branch in police control protested the attack launched on the stand on March 20. In the statement for the press issued, the students were described as "terrorists". Statements by university presidency and Higher Education Board In its statement, Boğaziçi University Presidency has said, "We find the attack carried out on the stand unacceptable like any patriot". "Security forces intervened in the aforementioned demonstrations that were held without approval of our university administration. Necessary investigations and disciplinary procedures have been launched into this hostile demonstration". In its statement, the Higher Education Board (YÖK) has said, "In order to avoid such incidents causing public indignation, necessary precautions to be taken including amendment in regulations will be concluded by negotiating. This process has been commenced". Police entered campus Five anti-war students were detained by police during home and dormitory raids on March 22. In protest of the detentions, students released a statement on social media calling for a rally in the North Campus. The statement read: "Detention of the students who weren't even in the campus at the time of the incident is a proof that the attack has been turned into a witch hunt by the government to oppress the opposition in the university". Prior to the rally time, Anti-Terror teams entering the campus detained seven students by dragging them on the floor. Taken to Gayrettepe Security Directorate and detained there, the students were released on the same day. Erdoğan called the students "terrorist" On March 24, Saturday, Erdoğan said, "Those communist, traitor terrorist youngsters scattered the desk. We will not grant those youngsters right to education at university." 16 students in total were taken into custody On March 25, the police raided the dormitories and houses of the students. After the raids, three Boğaziçi University students, who are also members of the Marxist Thought Community, were taken into custody. On March 26, three other students were detained after their houses and dormitories were raided by police. On March 31, two more students from Boğaziçi University were detained. On April 2, another student was taken into custody at the entrance to the South Campus of the university by undercover police officers. The number of detained students increased to 16 with this detention. 14 students were arrested On April 4, nine of 16 detained Boğaziçi University students were arrested on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization." While another student was still in custody as the legal proceedings against the student had not yet been finalized, one more student, who had initiated a letter campaign for the arrested Boğaziçi University students and was also a member of the Marxist Thought Community (MFT), was taken into custody. One of the detained students was arrested and the other one was released on probation. On May 10, another student from the department of sociology was arrested. Students were released in the first hearing In the first hearing of the students that was held on June 6, 2018, all of the 14 Boğaziçi University students pending trial in jail were released. |
(TP/SD)