Human Rights Body condemns police actions during Gezi protests

ISTANBUL

Istanbul’s unique green area in the city center, Gezi Park, witnessed weeks-long protests across Turkey, resulting in four deaths and thousands of injuries. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ

The Human Rights Association (İHD) yesterday released a report on the police’s use of force and human rights violations during the Gezi Park demonstrations, proposing a list of suggestions including revisions of police armament and a ban on the use of arms on collective demonstrations.

The report particularly stressed that the use of tear gas should be banned. The İHD report also suggested abolishing the barriers preventing the freedom of expression, while demanding the release of the protesters who were detained on charges of involvement in terrorist activities.

According to the report, some 2.5 million people participated in countrywide protests starting from the tenth of last month, some 4,900 people were detained and 4,000 civilians in addition to 600 policemen were injured.

The report stated that the incidents were the result of a reaction against current policies, suggesting that the government should rapidly accelerate the process of forming a democratic Constitution and declare that it would write a new Constitution based on fundamental rights.