The Diyarbakir Capital Offences Court for Minors continues with its hearings of cases brought against 70 children for their alleged involvement in a wave of violence that swept through the city in March.

The court, hearing the cases against children in groups, released 5 out of 7 children in a trial on Wednesday. The total number of children released has reached in various hearings has so far reached 16 but 23 children are still being held in prison at a special annex building of the city E-type prison due to lack of any detention facilities for minors.

The cases launched against 70 children will be heard at the Diyarbakir court until May 18 in separate groups.

36 children on trial

36 children, 15 of them under arrest, will face trial on May 31 on charges of "membership to the PKK, violating the law on meetings and rallies, inflicting damage on public buildings and other property, preventing civil servants from carrying out their duty" .

The prosecution has demanded 9.5 to 24 years imprisonment for the children alleged to have been involved in the incidents in Diyarbakir during which 11 people, including 5 children, were killed when security forces opened fire on the crowds.

Analay: Lack of evidence

Lawyer Cengis Analay representing some of the children told Bianet that some children on trial had not been involved in any of the incidents while those who had, were not mentally able to understand the meaning or consequences of any offence they might have committed.

Analay argued that there was no concrete evidence indicating that the minors had committed the offences they were charged with and added "even if it could be proven that the children carried out activities, there is no evidence that these have any form of organic relationship with an organisation".

He said that all rights of the children involved, with the right to education at top of the list, had been violated. Analay added that according to international conventions and its own legislation, Turkey should have taken measures with regard to the children that would not have restricted their freedoms.

Violence should not effect their future

Ankara Bar Association Children's Rights Commission Chairperson, attorney Turkay Asma speaking on behalf of the Initiative to End All Forms of Violence Against Children made a statement on the trial of the minors previously in which she said:

"Ignoring the benefit and wellbeing of the child, to violate their right to life, development and participation and to punish them cannot be accepted for any reason".

Asma said those children still under arrest should be released immediately. She said rather than passing verdicts that would limit their freedom, children found guilty should be subject to protective measures that will support them and allow them to benefit from all of their rights. (KO/TK/II/YE)