Members of
the football fan group Çarşı are on trial today in Istanbul, for a ridiculous
case against them for “attempting a coup by forceful means”. The government is
trying to convict the group members to life in prison for joining in the June
2013 Gezi Park protests.
“Charging
these Beşiktaş football club fans as enemies of the state for joining a public
protest is a ludicrous travesty,” says Emma Sinclair-Webb, senior Turkey
researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Photo: Çarşı
Mersin
Çarşı fan
group has always spoken out politically for workers rights, the environment,
against discrimination and poverty, and they were an important part of the
massive anti-government protests in June 2013. In many instances the police had
a hard time containing them, and this case could be best interpreted as an act
of revenge (like many other ongoing cases in Turkey), and intimidation to all
who want to protest.
100 lawyers
from various civil organizations are representing Çarşı in the case, and people
from workers unions, rival fan groups, LGBT groups were outside the Istanbul’s
Çağlayan Courthouse today for support.
This is one
of many ongoing cases where the AKP government is persecuting individuals and
organizations for their role in the June uprising of 2013. A significant case
is against 255 individuals, including many doctors for “illegally forming
uncontrolled and unauthorized health care facilities, and carrying out of
purpose actions.”
In response
to the case, Istanbul chamber of medicine stated that doctors who took the
hippocratic oath could not be put to trial for applying its principles. Other
defendants stated that it is the government’s responsibility to provide health
care during such intervention even for the “guilty”, yet it didn’t provide any.
Government only provided disproportionate force.
Another
interesting case is the case of Yeşinil Yeşinurt who is on trial for sharing a
picture of herself on Instagram. Allegation: “promoting crime”. In the picture
she is standing on a reversed police car on the entryway to Gezi Park. She is
one of thousands of people who took such pictures for memorabilia.
Yet another
case is against the members of Taksim Solidarity; which was one of the strong
voices during the protest; for forming an illegal organization and joining
illegal protests.
As for the
case against the Çarşı fan group Emma Sinclair-Webb of Human Rights Watch
states:
“The
indictment contains no evidence to support the coup attempt charges and should
never have come to court. The prosecutor should immediately indicate that he
does not believe the charges should be pursued and ask the court for their
acquittal.”
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