MARDİN - Sevil Rojbin Çetin, a member of the Democratic Local Administrations Board of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) who was physically tortured with police dogs when she was detained at her own home has been referred to court for arrest.
An investigation was launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office based on the information and documents seized during house raids targeting the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) on October 9, 2018. As part of this investigation, warrants for detention were issued against 64 people and 45 of them were taken into custody in house raids in İzmir, İstanbul, Adana, Şırnak, Batman and Van provinces on June 26. While 23 of the detained have been arrested for "membership of an organization," 22 have been released with an international travel ban.
Among the detained was also Rojbin Çetin, a member of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) Democratic Local Administrations Board and Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad -TJA). Rojbin Çetin was tortured with police dogs during a raid to her home and her attorney photographed the signs of trauma on her body. Having been detained since June 26, Sevil Rojbin Çetin has been referred to court after deposing at the Prosecutor's Office.
LAWYER ÖNER: SHE ATTENDED LEGAL MEETINGS
Çetin used her right to remain silent at the Prosecutor's Office while her lawyer stated, "Meetings she attended took place in the buildings of her own party and the institutions of the municipality. None of the meetings was was confidential. There were no such meetings as described by the anonymous witnesses whose statements are included in the investigation file. Therefore the accusations of 'membership of the organization' based on the political activities of my client are completely unlawful."
'SHE WAS TORTURED'
Lawyer Seda Zengin also pointed out that her client was tortured. "My client was tortured and she was continued to be mistreated due to unlawfully extended period of detention. There is no ground that requires the client's detention. The detention and arrest of my client at this stage will constitute a violation of her right to live."
Lawyer Ümit Dede, also the Co-Chair of HDP's Law and Human Rights Commission said, "The traces of psychological and physical torture experienced by the client while she was being detaines still remains. Considering these circumstance, we demand the client to be released and the investigation to be continued without arrest."
Following the defense of the lawyers at the prosecutor's office Çetin has been referred to the Magistrate's Court for arrest on charges of "being a member of the organization".