Youth defending himself in Saraçhane trial: 'We experienced violence and state oppression'

The first hearing of the case opened regarding the protests held in Saraçhane following the operation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality was held at the Istanbul 50th Criminal Court of First Instance, where 33 defendants are being tried. Due to the insufficiency of the courtroom, the hearing was conducted in the 14th High Criminal Court hall.

'WE EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE AND STATE OPPRESSION'

Following the identification process, the defendants' testimonies began. One of the defendants, Ali Haydar Saygılı, admitted to participating in the protest, stating, 'I see this protest as a democratic right. I was not aware of the Governor's Office's ban decision. There were no problems during the protest. There were also posts on social media stating that it was not banned. Our homes were raided in the early hours of the morning and we were taken into custody. During this process, we experienced violence and state oppression.'

'Are you dead? Don't die, I will beat you more' 

Another defendant stated that during the detention, a police officer told him, 'Are you dead? Don't die, I will beat you more,' and that another officer used the expression, 'We will beat educated people like you even more.' He stated that he had been in Istanbul for three months and could not take his exams. 

A defendant who said he took his motorcycle helmet with him so it wouldn't be stolen said, 'I was taken into custody with kicks and punches even though I did nothing. I was laid on the ground near the walls and handcuffed behind my back. A police officer hit my head with a boot; my head ached for a week.'

'We were imprisoned for no reason'

A youth who stated that he has chronic bronchitis said, 'My condition can be triggered even by pollen, let alone tear gas. I covered my mouth with the scarf around my neck.' Another defendant said, 'We were in Saraçhane; when the chaos broke out, we tried to move away. We asked a police officer, and he said, "Come here, I'll show you," and we were taken into custody. We were held in detention for a month. If I were a protester, I would have run away; I wouldn't have gone to the police. The mask was given to me by someone because of the gas; I didn't even wear it for 10 minutes. I didn't even have a mask when I was taken into custody. We were imprisoned for no reason.'

News Source: 12punto