Five people were arrested now after political demonstrations in Istanbul last Sunday (26 June). A total of 42 people were initially taken into police custody in the course of a massive police intervention against the protestors who had planned to march from Şişli to Taksim (districts of Istanbul). The demonstrators expressed their resentment after the release of elected deputy Hatip Dicle and other elected members of parliament had been rejected.

Several independent deputies of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block were among the protestors on Sunday such as Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Sebahat Tuncel, Ertuğrul Kürkçü and Levent Tüzel. They were exposed to water cannons and tear gas used by the police to disperse the crowd.

As the result of the heavy police intervention, 32 people were taken into custody, ten of whom were under age. The juveniles were taken to the Şişli Juvenile Courthouse and released later on. The 32 adults appeared before the prosecutor at the Şişli Courthouse on Tuesday (28 June). 15 of them were released subsequently. The remaining 17 people were brought to court with the demand to arrest them.

While twelve of them were released, Ramazan Altaş, Doğan Akdamar, Osman Esen, Özbey Dursun and Azadiya Welat employee Mehmet Hatip Yılmaz were arrested. They were alleged of "opposing the law on meetings and demonstrations", "resistance against the police", "harming public officials", "endangering the public security" and "damaging public property".

The arrested persons were detained at the Metris Prison in Istanbul.

"Four people injured by that object"

Besides water cannons and tear gas, the police are assumed to have used a stun gun against the demonstrators.

Independent Deputy Sebahat Tuncel of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block was among the protestors. In a statement made to bianet she said that Sadiye Acet, Zeytinburnu (Istanbul) district executive of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), was hurt with an object they assumed to be a stun gun. Acet apparently suffered burns to his body and obtained a three-day sick certificate.

Tuncel claimed that the use of such weapons in social events put Turkey into a grave situation. According to the Kurdish politician, at least three further people were injured.

"I am sure it was a stun gun"

BDP member Acet on the other hand has no doubt that the object used against him was a stun gun.

He recalled, "After the exposure to tear gas and pressurized water I passed out. (...) When I woke up again, my friends called my attention to burn marks on my left side".

Acet went to hospital but was not able to obtain a medical report from any unit. "I think the police threatened the doctors", he supposed. "I had been injured before and obtained a medical report very easily. Eventually, they gave me a three-day sick certificate. I noticed several plainclothes police officers around the hospital entrance when I left". (NV/ŞA/EKN)