The Saturday Mothers, who have been fighting for 23 years to have the fate of their relatives disappeared in custody brought to light and perpetrators punished, have been attacked by the police once again. Relatives of the disappeared including HDP MPs have been battered.

The Saturday Mothers, whose demonstrations have been banned by the Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu since the demonstration of the 700th week, were subjected to another police attack on the 704th week’s demonstration.

The police surrounded the Cukurlucesme street where the IHD (Human Rights Association) building is located and prevented the crowd including HDP Co-chair Pervin Buldan, HDP MPs and CHP provincial chairs from gathering.

Relatives of the disappeared protested the arbitrary practice and started marching towards the Galatasaray Square, upon which they were attacked by the police.

The police surrounded the crowd, battering and kettling them back into the IHD building. The attack was protested by chants of, “Human dignity will prevail against torture,” and Besna Tosun, daughter of Fehmi Tosun who disappeared in custody, protested the police and said: “We are being deprived of our constitutional right to hold a press statement. Give us our graves, let justice reign and we will stop coming here.”

PRESS OBSTRUCTED

The police attacked the crowd again after the statement and attempted to detain former Halkevleri Deputy Chairperson Samut Karabulut. CHP MP Sezgin Tanrikulu and HDP Co-chair Pervin Buldan protested the Beyoglu Security Director Ismail Kilic who ordered the attack.