Physics teacher Hamza Dede beaten and detained at the Afyon Governor's Office

48-year-old physics teacher Hamza Dede opposed the constant practice of mock exams at the high school where he worked in Afyon, arguing that it prevented him from teaching his lessons. Dede, who refused to conduct mock exams during class hours, faced a series of hardships.

EXILED FROM AFYON TO SİMAV

According to a report by İsmail Arı from BirGün; Dede was first given a reprimand and then, in December 2017, was exiled from Bolvadin, Afyon, to Sandıklı. However, this was not enough. In March 2020, Dede was exiled from Afyon to the Simav district of Kütahya. Spending 6 hours a day on the road to commute from Afyon to Simav, Dede went to a public meeting held on January 18, 2022, by Gökmen Çiçek, who was serving as the Governor of Afyon at the time and is now the Governor of Kayseri, to share his experiences and make his voice heard.

Allegedly, Governor Çiçek did not listen to Dede as he explained that he was a victim and was being subjected to mobbing. Reacting to this situation, Dede described what he went through in front of the Governor and many public officials in his statement as follows:

"THE BRANCH MANAGER PUNCHED ME"

“8-9 people, including security and governorate staff, swarmed me. They dragged me outside. I shouted 'help' at the door of the governor's office because I couldn't breathe. Police Chief Ali T. punched me in the face. The police continued to hit me with kicks and punches. While they were handcuffing me, I heard a woman in front of the governor's office say, 'what are you doing?' When I was taken to the police station, I saw that the woman had also been brought in and that the police were shouting at her. The police yelled at me because of this and took me to a room without cameras. Public Security Branch Manager Tayyar A. punched me in the stomach, and the police swarmed me again in the room. They twisted my arms behind my back and handcuffed me again.”

Dede, for whom a report was prepared confirming he had been beaten when he was taken for a medical examination, was brought to court on January 19, 2022. The Afyonkarahisar 1st Criminal Court of Peace released Dede on the condition of signing in on Mondays, judicial control, and a travel ban. Subsequently, a lawsuit was filed against Dede for "resisting to prevent the performance of a duty." In court, Dede explained that he had been unjustly beaten.

"CAMERAS ARE BROKEN" CLAIM

The court then requested camera footage from the Afyon Governor's Office on January 19, 2022. The Governor's Office reported that "the cameras were broken and there was no footage." On May 10, 2022, camera footage was requested from the Milli Birlik Police Station, where Dede stated he was beaten while in custody. However, the police also responded, "Our cameras were malfunctioning." In other words, both the Afyon Governor's Office and the police station claimed that the cameras were not working on the day of the incident.

The police officers whom Dede accused of beating him also gave statements claiming they used "gradual force." In fact, the police claimed that Dede had beaten them.

THE TEACHER CONTINUES TO BE TRIED

Stating that the moment of the beating in front of the governor's office could be identified by the MOBESE (CCTV) cameras around the governor's building, Dede requested that the court examine the MOBESE footage. Dede was even detained once more while taking photos to prove the existence of the MOBESE cameras. In his statement, Dede said he was taking photos for the lawsuit filed against him and that he would present them to the court, and he was released.

Speaking to BirGün and stating that he has been waiting for justice for years, physics teacher Hamza Dede said that the public officials who exiled him, subjected him to mobbing, and beat him should be put on trial. The lawsuit filed against Dede for "resisting to prevent the performance of a duty" is set to continue on January 11, 2024.