One hundred people out of 165 detained in Mersin in the past two months, have been remanded in custody. IHD (Human Rights Association) Mersin Branch Chair Ali Tanrýverdi remarked that not a day passes without detentions in the city, and added that a total of 40 children were remanded in custody in the city in the past eight months.

According to the figures released by the IHD among those remanded in custody are also 25 children who were detained in the last two months on charges of ‘violating to the law on meetings and demonstrations, joining unauthorized demonstration, making propaganda for an illegal organization and membership of an illegal organization’.

The people arrested are mostly BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) members, civil society organizations and students, said Ali Tanrýverdi underlining that the detainees did nothing more than issuing a press statement and participating to democratic actions. Among the people arrested in the past months are seven BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) executives (included BDP Mersin Chair Cihan Yýlmaz), Kurdi-Der Mersin Branch Chair Ahmet Gegez.

Tanrýverdi stated that they receive a number of applications concerning ill-treatment in custody and indicated that detentions have created a serious social unrest as many people think that it is going to be their turn soon.

According to IHD figures, 20 out of 40 children arrested on charges of ‘throwing stone to police’ and ‘joining a demonstration’, had been arrested on the same grounds before the amendment of Anti-terror Law as well.

A child, who was arrested twice with the same accusation, said that they suffered from intense pressure and depression in prison, and that they were exposed to insults by police after being released.