‘Lawsuit against Saturday People is a threat to everyone demanding rights’

* Photo: Beyza Kural

Click to read the article in Turkish

The "700th Week" lawsuit filed against Saturday Mothers/People will start at the İstanbul 21st Penal Court of First Instance on March 25.

We have spoken with Sebla Arcan, a member of the Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Branch who is herself a defendant of the case, about the police violence against Saturday Mothers/People in their 700th gathering and the lawsuit filed against them two years later.

Arcan has noted that on that day, they came together to exercise their right to assembly and demonstration and freedom of expression guaranteed by the law, as had been the case in the previous 699 weeks.

Indicating that they were not expecting police violence, she has underlined that the lawsuit was filed not for legal, but for political reasons, adding that the trial aims to criminalize rights defenders.

CLICK - Lawsuit against Saturday People over their 700th gathering

A lawsuit was filed against 46 people who were detained during the police attack targeting the 700th gathering of Saturday Mothers/ People, who have been demanding justice for their enforced disappeared relatives at Galatasaray Square in İstanbul. Since the police intervention in the 700th week on August 25, 2018, they have been prevented from gathering there.

As part of this recent lawsuit, the defendants have been charged with "unarmed participation in unlawful demonstrations and marches and refusal to disperse despite warning" and they now face a possible sentence for violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations.

The only evidence cited in the indictment is the report written by the police on the day and place of the incident and a document of inquiry.

CLICK - Police Attack Saturday Mothers with Plastic Bullet

'We didn't expect such a severe attack'

Police intervened into the 700th week gathering of Saturday Mothers/ People with plastic bullets and gas bombs, detaining several rights defenders.

Sebla Arcan says that they were not expecting such an attack on that day, adding, "It had never occurred to us".

Arcan briefly says, "Because for the past 699 weeks, we had held our gatherings with no problems. In fact, let alone having any problems in the last 499 weeks, our security was ensured and the administration and the ones who govern the state recognized our protests. We were not expecting such a sudden and severe attack."

'Not legal, but political reasons

Around two years after this attack on Saturday Mothers/People, a lawsuit was filed against the rights defenders subjected to police intervention, charging them with "unarmed participation in unlawful demonstrations and marches and refusal to disperse despite warning."

Arcan comments on the lawsuit as follows:

"Lawsuits are not filed on legal grounds any longer. If a legal ground had been sought, this case would not have been filed in the first place. Because there is no act that can be considered a crime. We were exercising our right of assembly arising from the Constitution and international conventions, we did not engage in any activities that constituted a crime.

"We exercised our right arising from the laws; however, this lawsuit does not comply with the law. This case was not filed for legal reasons, but for political reasons; it was filed because of the current agenda, it was filed due to the current political environment."

'Against everyone demanding freedom'

As she has talked about the current environment, we have asked Arcan about her views on the recently unveiled Human Rights Action Plan:

"These action plans give rights defenders the feeling of 'Oh no.' We observe how the action plans are put into practice, rather than how they are unveiled. These plans remain on the paper or remain unfulfilled and they aim to stall the society and give a message to the West.

"In practice, the law has been suspended. We live in a period when fundamental rights and freedoms are considered a crime and people are not allowed to use these rights.

"And what is put on trial in this case is the struggle for rights waged by the relatives of the enforced disappeared, who are themselves rights defenders. This case is, in fact, a threat against everyone demanding rights and freedom." (AS/SD)