Police intervention to Saturday Mothers rights violation

Police intervention to Saturday Mothers rights violation
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The Constitutional Court in Turkey ruled that a police intervention in 2018 to a Saturday Mothers gathering violated the freedom of assembly and the right to protest

The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that the ban on the gathering of Saturday Mothers violates the freedom of assembly and the right to protest.

On August 25, 2018, the 700th meeting of the Saturday Mothers, a group of mothers who gather every Saturday at noon for half an hour in Istanbul's Galatasaray Square to demand clarification about their missing loved ones, was banned by the Istanbul Beyoglu District Governor on the grounds that "no notification has been made."

The police attacked the group and arrested 23 people. Subsequently, proceedings were initiated against 46 people for "violation of the law on assemblies and demonstrations."

Maside Ocak was among those who were mistreated and arrested. Her 82-year-old mother, Emine Ocak, was also a victim of police violence.

She filed criminal charges against law enforcement officials. However, when the Istanbul Justice of the Peace Office finally rejected her claim, she took the case to the Constitutional Court.

The court, which considered the application, ruled by a majority vote that the right to organize assemblies and demonstrations enshrined in Article 34 of the Constitution had been violated.

The court also decided to pay the applicant TL 13,500 for non-material damage.

The only person who voted against the decision was Muhterem İnce, who was appointed a member of the Constitutional Court when he was Deputy Minister of Interior.