The law has been amended but kids are still in prison
The law has been amended but kids are still in prison
Although the anti-terror law has been amended all the children who were charged with terrorist crimes and kept in prison on account of stoning the police have not been released. There are still 50 children in Turkish prisons who are charged under Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for taking part in a demo and disturbing public order. Sevgül Taygil, the mother of one of these children Salih Taygil said: “The law has passed but my son could not get out.”
There were approximately 4 thousand children who were subjected to investigation under anti-terror law merely because they threw stones to the police. While following the amendments the most of those who were in custody have been released 50 children who were charged under TCK for the same acts remained in prison. This situation proved the critics from the human rights organisations who were calling the new law as ‘deceiving law’.
Salih Taygil is one of those Kurdish children who remained in the prison. He was arrested in a demonstration on 28 October 2008 when he was still 17. His mother Sevgül Taygil said they were expecting that after the amendments their son who has been in the prison for 2 years will also be released however, he was not. She also says the whole family could not sleep at the night before the day when Salih had the hearing in which he was not released.
Sevgül Taygil also says that his son got more even depressed after he learnt that he will not be released. She further says AKP government has deceived the families with false hopes. “What they wanted to do was to mislead the people and make them approve the constitutions in upcoming referendum” added Sevgül Taygil.
The spokesperson of the Justice Chasers for Children Initiative Arif Akkaya said even if the children are not sentenced under anti-terror law they are sentenced under Turkish Penal Code. He further says if a child is arrested for throwing stones in a demo and glasses of a shop is smashed than the child is given 1 year 10 month-imprisonment.
Arif Akkaya also stated that the statistics provided by the Ministry of Justice have been manipulated as they exclude the children who turned 18 while they were in custody. According to this, they were 301 children were in custody under TMK, unlike the number 270 provided by the ministry. He also said there 50 children remained in the Turkish prisons waiting to find out their fate.
There were approximately 4 thousand children who were subjected to investigation under anti-terror law merely because they threw stones to the police. While following the amendments the most of those who were in custody have been released 50 children who were charged under TCK for the same acts remained in prison. This situation proved the critics from the human rights organisations who were calling the new law as ‘deceiving law’.
Salih Taygil is one of those Kurdish children who remained in the prison. He was arrested in a demonstration on 28 October 2008 when he was still 17. His mother Sevgül Taygil said they were expecting that after the amendments their son who has been in the prison for 2 years will also be released however, he was not. She also says the whole family could not sleep at the night before the day when Salih had the hearing in which he was not released.
Sevgül Taygil also says that his son got more even depressed after he learnt that he will not be released. She further says AKP government has deceived the families with false hopes. “What they wanted to do was to mislead the people and make them approve the constitutions in upcoming referendum” added Sevgül Taygil.
The spokesperson of the Justice Chasers for Children Initiative Arif Akkaya said even if the children are not sentenced under anti-terror law they are sentenced under Turkish Penal Code. He further says if a child is arrested for throwing stones in a demo and glasses of a shop is smashed than the child is given 1 year 10 month-imprisonment.
Arif Akkaya also stated that the statistics provided by the Ministry of Justice have been manipulated as they exclude the children who turned 18 while they were in custody. According to this, they were 301 children were in custody under TMK, unlike the number 270 provided by the ministry. He also said there 50 children remained in the Turkish prisons waiting to find out their fate.
