On 18 December, the protest for the freedom of political prisoners and against rights violations in Turkey's prisons culminated in a march in Kadıköy, Istanbul. The protest was massively attacked by the police. One of the participants attacked was 60-year-old prisoner Zeynep Calıhan. She suffered bruises all over her body as a result of the police violence. She filed a complaint. In an interview with ANF, she talked about the vigil.

"THEY CAN'T STAND IT, EVEN IF ONLY THREE MOTHERS COME TOGETHER"

Calıhan recalled that families have been continuously trying to make the prisoners' voices heard outside for the past eleven months. One of her daughters has just been released from prison and another is still in detention. Calıhan stated, "We want to be a voice for our children in prison and especially the voice of the sick prisoners and we demand justice for them. The state cannot tolerate even three mothers coming together. Every week we were taken into custody with our hands tied behind our backs."

"ABUSED WITH SHIELDS, KICKS AND PUNCHES"

During the protest in Kadıköy, Calıhan was severely assaulted by the police. She stated that she was thrown to the ground by ten male plainclothes police officers, her glasses were broken and she was beaten. Calıhan's left eye, arms and legs show severe haematomas. "We just wanted to make a statement. But suddenly we were detained and beaten. Twice they [the police] threw me to the ground and beat me with their shields. In the vehicle we were taken to, they continued to kick and beat us. Some of the mothers, whose hands were tied behind their backs, became unconscious."

DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT BY DOCTORS

Calıhan further reported forced examinations at Hamidiye Etfal Hospital in Seyrantepe. The mothers were brought to the examination in handcuffs, she said, adding: "When we asked to take off the handcuffs, two doctors, including a woman, objected and said, 'Who will protect us then?' We reminded the doctors that we are human beings and refused to be examined in handcuffs."

"ONE COFFIN AFTER ANOTHER COMES OUT OF THE PRISONS"

Calıhan was eventually released from the hospital. Previously, she had been detained for hours in a vehicle in front of the Vatan police station in Istanbul and subsequently questioned. She filed a complaint. Regarding the situation of the prisoners, she said: "Coffins are coming out of the prisons, one after the other, but nobody makes a sound. The government is playing the three monkeys. We mothers could not go on living with a clear conscience. Every time the phone rang, we were afraid that we would get bad news. That is why we started vigils against this silence. But instead of responding to our demands, they tried to silence us. We cannot accept this. Our children in prisons are sick. Their treatment is prevented. They are not released despite the expiry of their prison term. We demand justice against these arbitrary and unlawful practices. What would the Minister of Justice do if he had a child, and he was tortured like that in prison? A Minister of Justice should not do such a thing. He is called the Minister of Justice, but he lacks any compassion."

"VIGIL SHOULD CONTINUE UNTIL JUSTICE COMES"

Calıhan said that her two daughters were imprisoned only because they are politically active for the HDP. Her eldest daughter was recently released after serving eleven years in prison, and the other is still imprisoned. Calıhan referred to the regime's claim that "Kurds and Turks are brothers" and continued: "If we were brothers and sisters, our children would also be able to express themselves freely. What did our children do? Did they rape anyone or steal anything? No, they only did politics and fought for their rights. I will fight for my rights too, because no one will give us our rights, we will take them, and we will fight until the end. Just like Emine Şenyaşar, we will keep our vigil for justice until it comes."