SES co-chair Selma Atabey remanded in custody

SES co-chair Selma Atabey was remanded in custody after the verdict in the hearing of the ongoing lawsuit against the union.

8 SES executives, including Health and Social Service Workers' Union (SES) co-chair Selma Atabey and former co-chair Gönül Erden, were imprisoned for "being a member of an illegal organisation", "directing an illegal organization" and "making propaganda for an illegal organization". The second hearing of the case was held at the Ankara 22nd Heavy Penal Court on Monday.

Many people attended the hearing, including a group of representatives from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Batman Deputy Necdet İpekyüz, HDP Ankara Provincial Organization executives, Public Workers' Unions Confederation (KESK) co-chair and representatives.

The court made an interim decision after the declarations of the defendants and their lawyers and decided to continue the detention of Gönül Erden, who was on trial, and to remand in custody SES co-chair Selma Atabey. The court decided to continue the judicial control measures of the union executives who were free pending trial, and postponed the next hearing to 3 October.

The crowd protested the decision after the hearing and wanted to make a press statement in front of the courthouse.