Justice vigil by prisoners’ families reaches day 26

The resistance of the prisoners’ families is on its 25th day. Families were also visited today.

The Justice Vigil launched by the relatives of the prisoners at the Amed Bar Association building, has reached day 26. Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz, Tevgera Jinên Azad (TJA) activists, and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) provincial groups from Amed, Mardin, Siirt, Batman, Bitlis, and Şırnak visited the families on Friday.

Tribute to Garibe Gezer

During the visit, HDP Amed Provincial Co-chair Gülistan Atasoy paid tribute to Garibe Gezer, who died suspiciously on Thursday night in Kandıra No. 1 F Type Women’s Closed Prison. Atasoy stressed that the ‘enemy law’ is used in jails and that they support the mothers’ calls for justice.

TJA member Şükran Çelebi stated that they support the requests of the families and added: “We shall struggle against the illegality and inhumanity inflicted on our people.” Noting that the detainees were severely punished, Çelebi said: “Leyla Güven, the DTK Co-Chair, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. But that wasn’t enough, so they gave her another 5 years. We will not accept this. According to the legislation, ill detainees must be released.”

Isolation protested

Saliha Aydeniz, DBP Co-Chair, said that the mothers had been fighting for human rights for years and added: “Today, there is no justice in Turkey. Justice, as Emine Şenyaşar put it, has been buried beneath the ground. Mothers have organised this vigil demanding peace for the Kurds, in response to this unlawfulness and anti-democratic stance.”

Aydeniz continued: “Turkey is attempting to frighten human rights activists. It is attempting to keep itself alive through cruelty, force, and the use of the judiciary as a weapon. They began in prison, but now there are similar unjust policies at every corner of society, including prisons. As mothers of Kurdish women, we will speak out against these segregation measures. We will continue to support our mothers.”

Vigil for Justice in Van

The Vigil for Justice in Van has reached day 3. Yesterday, relatives of ill prisoners İbrahim Alkan, Emrah Abi, and Sinan Karel took over the vigil which is taking place at the Van Bar Association Tahir Elçi Conference Hall.