WE’LL CONTINUE TO BE AT THE SIDE OF THE STUDENTS FROM BOGAZICI IN THEIR RIGHTOUS RESISTANCE!

OUR COLLEAGUE EZGI ÖNALAN AND ALL STUDENTS SHALL BE RELEASED

The protests, which started with the appointment of “trustee rector” with the Presidential decree, continue with the actions of all university students, especially Boğaziçi students, who want autonomous, democratic management respecting human rights in their universities.

Boğaziçi students announced that they will make a press release today to protest the arrest of their two friends, as a result of being targeted by the “trustee rector” Melih Bulu himself, political power officials and its supporters.

While it was announced that the press release of the students from Boğaziçi was illegally banned by the Istanbul Governorship on the grounds of the so-called Covid-19 outbreak, the Boğaziçi University was blocked by the police from the morning hours; It was learned that students on the campus are not allowed to go outside and those outside were not allowed to approach the university environment when the time for press release came.

While students, journalists and members of parliament who were there to support Boğaziçi students were attacked by the police and private security guards, it was reflected on the social media that a group gathered in Beyazit Square at the same time could held a press statement full of hateful expressions targeting the Boğaziçi students without any problems under police surveillance.

We offer our legal support to Boğaziçi students against the attacks they have suffered from the first day of their peaceful action and resistance. Today, our Branch Secretary Att. Ezgi Önalan was also detained with the police attack when she went to the university.

Despite the grave fact that individuals are detained for wanting to exercise their right to constitutional assembly and demonstration, our colleague Ezgi Önalan was detained while she was performing her profession, although she had announced that she was the lawyer of the students, and it is an unacceptable attack on individuals’ right to defense as an institution.

Together with all the detained persons, the members of our Branch Student Commission, law faculty students Ezgi Ertürk and Mert Batur and our Branch secretary Att. Ezgi Önalan who were detained for raising the just demands of the students, must be released immediately!

Against the political power, who thinks that it can detain and intimidate students who are seeking their rights, even their lawyers who defend their rights, we state again that we will stand with the students today and tomorrow, as we did yesterday, against this unfair, unjust, and unlawful attitude!

Contemporary Lawyers Assocation (ÇHD)

Istanbul Branch

Source: https://twitter.com/CHDistanbul/status/1356297610408161282

Translation in to English: Anadolu News Blog