Taksim Solidarity members face up to 29 years in new Gezi indictment

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

Taksim Solidarity Platform members, including Mücella Yapıcı (C), face 29 years in prison. DHA Photo

Taksim Solidarity Platform members, who were detained during last summer's Gezi Park protests, face up to 29 years in prison, as a new indictment has been prepared by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The six-page indictment has been prepared for members of Taksim Solidarity Platform, including Chamber of Architects and Engineers’ (TMMOB) General Secretary Mücella Yapıcı and Istanbul Chamber of Doctors General Secretary Ali Çerkezoğlu. Prosecutors demand from 7.5 years to 29 years for them on charges of founding an organization to commit crime, violating the laws of demonstration, and resisting public officers.

Twenty-one other suspects face 10 years in jail on charges of violating the laws of demonstration and resisting public officers. Charges for 31 others, including Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK) General Secretary Arzu Çerkezoğlu, were dismissed.

The indictment underlined that Ali Çerkezoğlu, Ayşe Mücella Yapıcı, Beyza Metin, Ender İmrek and Haluk Ağabeyoğlu caused serious damage to public safety in Istanbul by calling on people to come Taksim Square through the media, Facebook and Twitter. The suspects became a criminal organization and controlled and planned the unrest during the protests, the indictment said.

They were detained on July 8, 2013 during a demonstration at the opening of Gezi Park, after it was sealed off by police for three weeks.