Lawsuit against schizophrenic patient tortured by police during trustee protests

img

VAN - Battered by the police with helmets, bludgeons and kicks during trustee protests in Van in 2019, Fırat Koç, suffering from schizophrenia, now faces a lawsuit on charge of “committing crimes on behalf of the organization as non-members."

The Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against five people battered by the police in Van during a protest against the appointment of trustees to the Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) Metropolitan Municipalities of Van, Diyarbakır and Mardin in August 2019.
 
Entering the coffeehouse where protesters took shelter, police officer attacked the people there with helmets, bludgeons and kicks and took them into custody. Among the five people detained on that day and facing a lawsuit now is also Fırat Koç, who is a patient of schizophrenia.
 
As reported by Adnan Bilen from the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), as per the indictment accepted by the Van 5th Heavy Penal Court, five people, including Koç, are now facing the charges of "committing crimes on behalf of the organization as a non-member" and "attending unlawful meetings and demonstrations and refusing to disperse despite warnings."
 
THERE IS NO CRIMINAL EVIDENCE
 
According to the indictment, when Fırat Koç was searched by the security officers at the moment of incident, no criminal evidence was found on him. The indictment has also referred to the open source and inquiry report on his social media account and noted that there was also no criminal evidence.
 
Recounting the incidents, the indictment has also made references to a medical report prepared by Van Training and Research Hospital dated July 22, 2019, which concluded that "after his state of mind was examined, the suspect's capability of self-defense was found to be weakened."
 
In summarizing the deposition of Ferhat Koç to the Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the indictment has shared the following accounts by him:
 
"...I don't have a job. I was strolling around the bazaar on the day of incident. The incidents occurred at that moment. A large crowd of people were running and there were shouts. I saw people coming towards me.
 
"I threw a chair in a sudden reaction and started running from the scene of incident. I don't have anything to do with the organization, I don't have any links. I don't have anything to do with the protesting group, either..."
 
THERE IS UNANIMITY IN THE ACT
 
The indictment has alleged that Koç and other four "closed the road, thereby committing crimes on behalf of the organization as non-members as they thought and acted in unanimity, and committed the offenses charged as they did not disperse despite being warned by the law enforcement."
 
While Koç now faces a lawsuit, the investigation filed against the police officers who battered him is still ongoing.
 
BACKGROUND
 
While a group of people were protesting the appointment of trustees to the HDP's Metropolitan Municipalities of Van, Diyarbakır and Mardin on August 21, 2020, police officers entered a coffeehouse in Van, battering people with helmets, bludgeons and kicks and detaining them afterwards.
 
Held in custody for five days, he was released with an international travel ban upon the request of the Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
 
Van Bar Association and lawyers filed a criminal complaint against the police officers who battered Koç and the prosecutor's office sent an official letter to the Van Governor's Office, requesting permission to identify the police officers and launch an investigation against them.
 
While three officers who battered Koç were identified, an administrative investigation was launched against them.

View More Articles

27/07/2020
11:29 17 more died of coronavirus in Turkey
11:28 Women detained for gathering at home!
24/07/2020
15:59 Prisoners: Our hunger strike will continue until the violations are over
15:00 Families applied to visit İmralı
14:59 Lawsuit against schizophrenic patient tortured by police during trustee protests
14:58 Governors whitewashing torture, marginalizing citizens
10:40 Two little sisters missing in Malazgirt
23/07/2020
17:51 Başaran: Increasing abuse and rape is a speacial war tactic
17:47 MB keeps interest rate constant
17:02 Youth sees HDP as the 'adress of the solution'
16:11 Police brutality against minors in Bursa
14:50 'Mücella Demir was murdered by her fugitive husband'
13:47 Another woman murdered in İstanbul
13:13 HDP Diyarbakır Provincial Organization Press Consultant detained
12:54 Missing smuggler turns up in police station, tortured
11:42 Öcalan's lawyers applies once again to visit İmralı
11:12 Police and watchmen violence reflects to the cameras
10:41 Dismissed for buying baby food to his niece
09:18 Pınar Gültekin laid to rest in Hizan
09:17 Co-Mayor Demir arrested
22/07/2020
15:24 Specialized Seargeant M.O accused of rape claims to be intoxicated
13:56 'We will not allow Cemal Metin Avcı to be acquitted'
13:35 'Amnesty attempts are threat to all children'
10:49 'Government in pursuit of erasing Suruç Massacre from memories'
10:39 Dismissed Co-Mayor produces with the people
09:42 12 women detained in Pınar Gültekin demo released
09:41 Murder suspect of Pınar Gültekin arrested
21/07/2020
21:15 Dismissed Co-Chair Demir taken into custody
16:56 AKP submits social media bill to parliament
16:54 48 years of prison sentence to 32 KESK members
14:39 Detention period of 48 people taken into custody in Suruç Commemoration extended
13:49 Lawyer battered by police: We will file a criminal complaint
13:44 Journalist Aziz Oruç remains imprisoned
13:43 Justice Meeting Final Declaration: We will succeed with our struggle
11:57 Court stays order of 'media blackout' penalty
11:43 Call for alliance for democracy from 101 White Haired
11:41 SES former Co-Chair Oruç arrested
20/07/2020
15:06 Police intervention against families wishing to petition the Supreme Court
14:52 Police attacks Suruç Massacre commemoration on its 5th year anniversary
13:43 Call for solidarity for Journalist Aziz Oruç
13:25 Childless man dismissed with a law decree for having his child educated in FETÖ school
12:43 Attorney Açar: Increase in abuse cases directly linked to judicial decisions
08:54 Number of Covid- 19 cases increases to 216 thousand 641 in Turkey
08:54 59 bodies recovered from Lake Van
19/07/2020
10:39 Yılmaz Güney Culture and Art Festival launches the 3rd edition
10:38 Witness of Suruç Massacre: So many wouldn't have died if there was no intervention
18/07/2020
15:54 TJA Spokesperson Gökkan: Government has waged war against women
12:18 Death fasting lawyer Timtik: Not being able to do anything is harder than hunger
12:17 TJA Spokesperson Gökkan released
10:51 Autonomous Administration: Turkey helps ISIS members escape