The number of children being tried on the ground of throwing stones at the police and shouting slogans has reached seven thousands. The children are ranked as terrorists.

Despite the fact that the evidences are limited and often end up being the sole police report, the children have been in prison for months. They are deprived not only of their freedom, but also of their very childhood, education and basic rights.

According to the Ministry of Justice, nearly three thousand children are being tried for having taken part in social demonstrations. According to the Diyarbakýr Bar Association, seven thousand children are being tried. The total sentence for the stone throwing children is over two thousand years. The numbers are growing and children are continuing to stay in prisons.

General Secretary of Diyarbakýr Bar Association and a member of earlier Child Rights Commission, lawyer Serhat Eren states that nearly seven thousand children in the region are being tried and underlines that "the problem of the stone-throwing children has become the problem of whole Turkey. Seven thousands children are being tried. Heavy sentences are being handed down”.

“Children who don’t have anything to do with political organisations and don't even know what a political organisation is, are charged with being members of these organisations in the court. They are sentenced to ten to fifteen year in prison", says lawyer Eren.

Stating that some court decisions to release some of the children is something to be welcomed, lawyer Eren adds that "the release of these children doesn’t mean that they will get no punishment. The sentence of the children will continue as long as the 220/6. Article of Turkish Penal Code exists, in other words, kids are being tried not for membership of an organisation but for organising activities for that organisation".