On September the 23rd 2024, the highly controversial trial of 15 minors (aged 13-17) began in Turkiye. The charges, like many similar cases, are that of ‘terrorist actions’. These actions involve studying, organising educational programs, and supporting children affected by the government’s emergency decrees (KHK). The source of the controversy is that the actions are clearly legal and innocent, and yet the Turkish authorities have deemed them to be related to the Gulen movement and saw it necessary to forcefully arrest, search the houses of and interrogate everyone involved.
Beginning on May 7, 2024, the homes of the girls were raided and subjected to searches, and two sisters were taken into custody. They would remain without legal representation for 15 hours – a clear breach of their rights – and reports indicate that during this time the girls were pressured into testifying against their own families. The girls’ rights were severely breached as part of the authorities’ agenda. University students who had offered to provide religious education to the girls were similarly arrested, adding to the pool of victims.
The girls under trial were surveilled for months, being tracked and wiretapped in complete violation of their privacy. These measures against children are hardly acceptable in any situation and certainly aren’t acceptable in this one, especially considering the circumstances of the girls. As their families have been blacklisted by the authorities, they were ostracized from the greater community and forced to socialize with other blacklisted families – but this earned them accusations of “terrorist activity”. The surveillance of minors for everyday activities simply because they are socialising with other people in their marginalized community, is not warranted.
When the prosecutor asked a mother why her daughters were going to study with their friends, it became clear the absurd nature of the accusations. This twisting of education into potential criminality is too common in Turkiye, as the authorities seek to target individuals affected by their emergency decrees.
As of the 27th of September, 11 of the defendants in the Trial of the Girls were released, leaving 8 defendants detained. The court adjourned after 5 days of surreal investigations; questions like “Why did your daughter go to the movies with her friends?” revealed the absurdity of the accusations. Court dates have been set for December, where hopefully justice will come out on top and the remaining individuals detained against their rights will be released.
Among those still detained is Aysu Bayram, mother of three girls who are being accused in the same trial, and a Parkinson’s patient. Reports say that one of Bayram’s daughters fainted upon hearing the court’s decision, showing the effect of the trial on the defendants.
As rights defenders, we must speak out against the mistreatment of the defendants and the use of anti-terrorist laws against children to target their families – such practices should not be allowed to continue. We hope that future trials in the Trial of the Girls go in favour of human rights.
References:
https://www.newsweek.com/turkey-detaining-teenage-girls-how-low-will-erdogan-sink-opinion-1956926
https://twitter.com/turkishminutetm/status/1838214236520030455?s=46&t=36bb5QIaP8Zy2yh6yMBx_Q
https://twitter.com/4PeacefulAction/status/1838579939597066586?t=jBZO4B42bol2LFmQ_T7ckw&s=19
https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%B1z_%C3%87ocuklar%C4%B1_Davas%C4%B1
