Progressive Lawyers Association warns against unlawful detainments in Gezi Park operations

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Istanbul Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) secretary general Güray Dağ said there was no accurate data on the number of people detained or their identities. Hürriyet Daily News photo by Emrah Gürel

Istanbul Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) secretary general Güray Dağ said there had been complete chaos regarding the detainments that were part of the Gezi Park operations.

Dağ said there was no accurate data on the number of people detained or their identities. “Some of them are being kept in police cars, while some were battered by police and then thrown into the park,” Dağ said.

Dağ also said they had issued a call to families who lost their relatives during the incidents. “Some families have contacted us. Also, we are trying to make contacts with the injured at hospitals. But they don’t file complaints since they are afraid of being identified and detained,” Dağ said.

Dağ noted previous incidents in which many people had gone missing while detained. “We hope new unsolved cases will not be experienced in the near future. The situation is ominous.”

Antiterrorism Law and confidential files

Dağ said they tried to follow the detainments as far as possible, adding that detained people could be charged under the Antiterrorism Law since there was a decision of confidentiality on the files, which could make the case more difficult. According to Dağ’s estimations, a series of operations might be launched in the near future.

Dağ also noted that lawyers who demonstrated in solidarity with the Gezi Park protesters were detained last week in Çağlayan Courthouse, adding that attorneys had also been targeted. Dağ said they had recently begun to face many controversies with the prosecutors at courthouses. “Recently, a prosecutor threatened us, claiming that we were supporting the Gezi Park demonstrations. They look at lawyers and detained people in the same way.”