8 KESK Members Freed Pending Trial

An Ankara court released 8 KESK members who remained in prison for the past six months for “being a DHKP-C member. 

On February 19, police raided Confederation of Public Labor Unions (KESK) accross 28 cities in Turkey, detaining unions members suspected of being a “DHKP-C organization” member. 8 detainees from Ankara have arrested. 

Ankara "Özgürlük" Hâkimliği” (Freedom Court Penal), a special court established within Anti-Terror Act Article 10, released 8 defendants pending a trial upon an objection. 

On July 25, the court rejected an indictment submitted on July 12 due to “missing procedures”, according to defense lawyer Engin Gökoğlu. Prosecutors will draft a new indictment. 

“We were unable to view the indictment due to a confidentiality order. Defendants were arrest for taking part in the public worker cell of DHKP-C organization,” Gökoğlu said. 

69 KESK members behind bars 

There are currently 69 jailed KESK members with a majority arrested during police raids on February 19. The jailed KESK members with 15 women are adhered to the following sub-organizations: Eğitim Sen, SES, Tümbel Sen, BES, Yapı Yol Sen and Haber Sen.

The list of freed members was as follows: Eğitim ve Örgütlenme Sekreteri Akman Şimşek (Secretary of Education and Organization) , Abidin Sırma (BES former executive board member), Arzu Koluaçık (SES former executive board member), Acun Karadağ (EĞİTİM SEN Ankara 1st Branch Secretary on Woman Affairs), Gülcan Kalkan (Ankara 1st Branch member, Mehmet Toğan, Dinçer Öztürk  (Ankara 2nd Branch members) and Salih Baydemi (Düzce Branch member). (NV/BM)

* Click here to see the original article in Turkish.