Wave of repression in Turkey and India
Featured image: Protest by Initiative Solidarity with the Prisoners [Translator’s note: TDİ], which is one of the political prisoners’ organizations subjected to repression. Source: Yeni Demokrasi
On the 6th of February an attack which wounded five police officers was carried out against a police check point in front of the Çağlayan courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey. After this, the old State unleashed a wave of repression against many organizations. 96 people were initially detained, among them lawyers of the People’s Law Office, manager of the headquarters of Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association (PSAKD) Sarıyer Branch manager, members of the music group Grup Yorum and families of members of the Detainee and Convict Families Solidarity Association (TAYAD). It is reported that the detained were subjected to torture. 53 people of the 96 were arrested. The People’s Law Office released a statement in their social media, denouncing that the repression will not stop their work.
On February 9th the detentions continued, with the detention of Partizan reader Kemal Çelikel, JINNEWS journalist Kibriye Elvan as well as members of political prisoners’ organizations and relatives of political prisoners. Altogether, 20 people were detained. The detained were accused of providing finance to an illegal organization, because they had deposited money to the political prisoners.
In Hyberabad, India, a series of house raids was carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), including a house raid to the home of journalist of the Veekshanam newspaper N. Venugopal and “human rights” activist Ravi Sharma, due to alleged links to the CPI(Maoist). First Information Reports (FIR) were prepared by the police against 24 people in the case.
