“She Was Supposed to Be a Journalist, Not a Prisoner”

Emine Akman was studying at Marmara University Department of Journalism. She was taken into custody on 14 August 2011. She was beaten, insulted, abused under custody. She made a complaint against the police officers as she was exposed to torture however the prosecutor declared to proceed no further.

She's been charged with "committing crimes on behalf of a terrorist organization without being a member of that organization". She's been under arrest at Bakırköy Women and Children's Detention Centre for 9 months.

"The evidence consists of a photograph that is impossible to detect with police report" told Lawyer Hüseyin Boğatekin at the first hearing. They wanted to send the photograph to Forensic Medicine Institution in order to determine whether the face seen at the photograph belonged to Emine or not, however the court rejected this demand.

"She would be a journalist like you" said her mother Halise Akman when I called her.

"We should have killed you"

Emine wrote "It's so hard to talk about my experiences" in her letter she send after eight months.

"I was arrested on 14 August 2011 at İstanbul, Ataşehir while I was on the way to the house of my friend. A panzer hit me and I fell down on the street, I was stuck in between the panzer and the wall of a building. I couldn't understand what was going on and a number of police officers attacked me. They jumped down my throat, pulled my legs and insulted.  They stuck me out of the place, they searched my clothes and I was harassed.

" They handcuffed my hands and put me into an armored vehicle where the curses, insults, beatings continued. The driver hit me said ,"I wish I'd hit you faster so you'd die. I'd say it happened by mistake and I would release"

"Then I was taken to Police Department and they asked me to take off my clothes otherwise they'd call the police officers who had beaten me."

"Then they took me to interrogation room, they punched me, they pulled my hair and hit my face, they threatened me to rape. They were continuously saying "Talk!" to me however I was not aware what they were asking."

"There were bruises on her arms and face"

"There are injuries inflicted at her body due to assault" reported at the Forensic Medicine report.

"We filed a complaint against the police officers with this report however Kadıkoy Public Prosecutor's Office decreed "no need for prosecution" told Lawyer Hüseyin Boğatekin.

Then, they objected to this decree and now they are waiting for the final decree.

Interrogated in 5 minutes, arrested in 10 minutes!

"I couldn't even understand how the court and prosecution interrogation past. What did I have done? I was still unaware of it. The prosecutors didn't listen to me and the court decided to arrest me in 10 minutes" wrote Emine at her letter

Emine was the "usual suspect"

"Emine is charged with Article 220/6. of Turkish Penal Code "committing crimes on behalf of PKK without being a member of that organization" and "damaging property" and they claim that Emine participated in a demonstration that occurred on August 14^th" told Lawyer Boğatekin.

The first hearing was held on April 16^th.

"The person's face at the photograph is not obvious and she doesn't look like Emine.  We wanted to send the photograph to Forensic Medicine Institution in order to determine whether that photograph belonged to Emine or not, however the court rejected our demand. The other evidence is the testimony of the police officers that arrested her"

"Emine was taken into custody as an "usual suspect" " says Lawyer Boğatekin.

The second hearing will be held on July 25^th at Çağlayan15. High Penal Court 10:00am. (AS)