Ankara, March 29
The Turkish Police have arrested several protestors involved in the mass demonstrations against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. They were subjected to widespread physical abuse, sexual harassment, and degrading treatment, according to local media reports.
Till now, Turkish security forces have arrested over 1800 people, including several journalists, amid the ongoing protests that erupted after Imamoglu, the arch-rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a potential presidential election contender, was arrested.
The lawyers representing the detainees revealed the horrific abuse they are facing in the jails.
A series of detailed testimonies and legal records revealed the most serious allegation made by a young woman detained in Istanbul's Sarachane neighbourhood.
In an official statement, she stated that she was pulled by her hair, dragged on the ground, and groped by a male officer, and in fear, she urinated on herself.
Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Sezgin Tanrikulu confirmed that the details had been recorded in interrogation records and presented to the Penal Court of Peace.
"I have the police statement and the interrogation record in hand. A young female student has clearly described how she was harassed and mistreated. The judiciary has remained silent.," Tanrikulu posted on social media
Additional accounts gathered by the Istanbul Bar Association reveal a broader pattern. Attorney Halil Enes Kavak detailed the brutality of the Turkish police.