|
Diyarbakir: 20 Kurdish Children Released,
19 in Turkish Jail
16.5.2006
|
|
|
|
With the release of four more Kurdish children
from prison in Diyarbakir. the number of minors
still under arrest for alleged involvement in the
March protests is 19. Cases against 70 minors are to
be heard by May 18. Lawyer Analay wants all Kurdish
children released.
Diyarbakir, Kurdistan-Turkey - The number of
children released from prison in Turkey's southeast
(Kurdistan-Turkey) province of Diyarbakir since May
8 reached 20 on Friday but 19 others are still in
jail for alleged involvement in a wave of violence
that swept through the city at the end of March.
The trials of a total of 70 children charged with
capital offences ranging from membership to an armed
terrorist organisation to causing damage to public
property continues in groups and will be heard at
the Diyarbakir Capital Offences Court for Minors
until May 18.
Last week the court released five children on
Wednesday and four more under-aged defendants on
Friday, The remaining children are still being held
at a special annex building to Diyarbair's E-Type
prison due to lack of detention facilities for
minors.
The prosecution has demanded 9 to 24 years
imprisonment for the children alleged to have been
involved in the wave of incidents in Diyarbakir at
the end of March during which 11 people, including 5
minors, were killed when security forces opened fire
on the crowds. The events were sparked off by
funeral ceremonies held for members of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who were killed in
clashes with security forces.
The indictment at the Diyarbakir Capital Offences
Court for Minors charges the children for
"membership to an armed organisation, inflicting
damage on public buildings and other property,
preventing civil servants from carrying out their
duty" as well as violating law 2911 on Meetings and
Demonstration Rallies.
Analay: Lack of evidence
Lawyer Cengis Analay representing some of the
children told Bianet that some children on trial had
not been involved in any of the incidents while
those who had, were not mentally able to understand
the meaning or consequences of any offence they
might have committed.
Analay argued that there was no concrete evidence
indicating that the minors had committed the
offences they were charged with and added "even if
it could be proven that the children carried out
activities, there is no evidence that these have any
form of organic relationship with an organisation".
He said that all rights of the children involved,
with the right to education at top of the list, had
been violated. Analay added that according to
international conventions and its own legislation,
Turkey should have taken measures with regard to the
children that would not have restricted their
freedoms.
Violence should not effect their future
Ankara Bar Association Children's Rights Commission
Chairperson, attorney Turkay Asma speaking on behalf
of the Initiative to End All Forms of Violence
Against Children made a statement on the trial of
the minors previously in which she said:
"Ignoring the benefit and wellbeing of the child, to
violate their right to life, development and
participation and to punish them cannot be accepted
for any reason".
Asma said those children still under arrest should
be released immediately. She said rather than
passing verdicts that would limit their freedom,
children found guilty should be subject to
protective measures that will support them and allow
them to benefit from all of their rights. (KO/
II/YE)
Bianet org
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 