Female Activist Claims Harassment by the Police

Socialist Platform of the Oppressed (ESP) member Gökben Keskin filed a criminal complaint against the police. She was arrested while distributing a handout dealing with the solution of the Kurdish question. Keskin states that she was exposed to harassment and torture in detention.

Together with public advocates Keskin organized a press release in front of the Sultanahmet Courthouse in the historic district of Istanbul yesterday (26 October). She declared that she was threatened and exposed to sexual harassment since the police made her undress for searching her in detail. She claimed that police officers Eylem and Özlem from the Uçyüzlü Police Station searched and harassed her. When she showed resistance, they threatened her by saying, "I will empty my magazine into your mouth", "we are the state, no-one opposes us".

In the criminal complaint filed by lawyer Eren Keskin on behalf of her client, Keskin demands an investigation into the behaviour of the police officers and supervisors on the grounds of article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights on "prohibition of torture" and article 94 on "torture" of the Turkish Criminal Code.

Duriye Sezkin read the press release in front of a group of about 30 people. She indicated that distributing the handout was part of freedom of thought and freedom of expression. Nevertheless, the police arrested 2 ESP members by applying the Police Duty Authority Law (PVSK).

Women from ESP had prepared banners for the press release such as "Put harassing and torturing police officers of the Esenler Üçyüzlü Police Station on trial", "detailed search - harassment - torture" and "The state will pay for harassment". (ÇA/EÜ/VK)