AMNE5TY !NTEPNAT!

DNAL
PUBL!0 5TATEMENT
T0 November 20TT
Index. EUR 44/0T4/20TT
Turkey: Activists aIIeging poIice iII-treatment convicted for
'insuIting poIice'
AmnesLy InLernaLona has wrLLen Lo Lhe Turksh auLhorLes expressng deep concern aL Lhe
recenL convcLon of Lhree Lransgender acLvsLs from Lhe Ankara based esban, gay, bsexua
and Lransgender (L0BT) sodarLy organzaLon Pembe HayaL (Pnk Lfe) who were prosecuLed
foowng Lher arresL n June 20T0 for 'ressLng Lhe poce`, 'nsuLng a poce offcer` and
'damage Lo pubc properLy`.
The convcLons occur wLhn a conLexL of ongong poce harassmenL of Lransgender women
and Lhe LargeLng of L0BT rghLs acLvsLs. AmnesLy InLernaLona s aso concerned aL Lhe
paLLern of such prosecuLons beng broughL agansL persons aegng -LreaLmenL by poce
offcers.
The case, whch deaL wLh a Lhree charges, was concuded on 26 0cLober 20TT n Lhe T5
Lh
Crmna CourL of FrsL InsLance n Ankara. 0ne of Lhe acLvsLs, Seay Tun, was senLenced Lo
sx monLhs n prson for 'ressLng Lhe poce`. Naz 0dmen was senLenced Lo one year n
prson for 'nsuLng a poce offcer` and an addLona sx monLhs for 'ressLng Lhe
poce`. Buse Kkaya, one of Lhe founders of Pembe HayaL, was senLenced Lo fve monLhs n
prson for 'ressLng Lhe poce` and acquLLed of Lhe charge of 'damage Lo pubc properLy`. The
courL rued for Lhe deferra of Lhe execuLon of Lhe senLences of Seay Tun and Naz 0dmen.
However, shoud Lhey be found guLy of anoLher mprsonabe offence n Lhe nexL fve years,
Lhey woud be forced Lo serve boLh prson senLences. If Lhe Supreme CourL of Appeas uphods
Buse Kkaya`s senLence, she w be mprsoned, due Lo a prevous suspended senLence.
The convcLons reaLe Lo an ncdenL LhaL Look pace on T9 June 20T0 n whch poce offcers
apprehended Lhe acLvsLs whe Lhey were Lraveng by car n Ankara, Turkey`s capLa cLy.
AfLer beng ordered Lo sLop Lhe car, Lhe acLvsLs aege LhaL Lhey were dragged from Lhe car
before beng furLher -LreaLed by poce and arbLrary deLaned. IL foowed a smar ncdenL
n May of 20T0 when Lwo of Lhe Lhree acLvsLs were apprehended and aegedy -LreaLed by
poce. Crmna companLs were odged by Lhe acLvsLs n boLh cases. In neLher case were
poce offcers prosecuLed.
A pubc prosecuLon was aso broughL agansL Lhe acLvsLs n reaLon Lo Lhe May ncdenL.
However, Lhe presdng |udge dsmssed Lhe case sLaLng LhaL Lhere was no evdence LhaL Lhe
acLvsLs had commLLed any offence.
In Ls recenL reporL 'Nct an IIness ncr a crme' Iesban, gay, bsexuaI and transgender pecpIe
n Turkey demand equaIty (AI Index 44/00T/20TT) AmnesLy InLernaLona documenLed
numerous cases of Lhe arbLrary apprehenson of Lransgender women by poce offcers
amounLng Lo punshmenL ssued on Lhe bass of an ndvdua`s gender denLLy. AmnesLy
InLernaLona documenLed LhaL Lhose Lransgender women who ob|ecLed Lo Lhs pracLce faced
voence by poce.
In response Lo Lhs pracLce AmnesLy InLernaLona caed on Lhe Turksh auLhorLes Lo suspend
Lhe appcaLon of fnes under Lhe Msdemeanour Law and Lhe Traffc Law whch are frequenLy
used as a preLexL Lo harass Lransgender women, unL measures can be puL n pace Lo ensure
LhaL Lhese aws are noL used n a dscrmnaLory manner. The organzaLon aso caed on Lhe
auLhorLes Lo ensure LhaL counLer charges agansL Lransgender ndvduas are noL used Lo deLer
egLmaLe companLs agansL aw enforcemenL offcas.
Regardng Lhe convcLons of Lhe Pembe HayaL acLvsLs, AmnesLy InLernaLona cas on Lhe
auLhorLes Lo re-nvesLgaLe Lhe ncdenL LhaL ed Lo Lhe charges beng ssued, ncudng Lhe
aegaLons of -LreaLmenL agansL poce offcers and for Lhose found responsbe Lo be
broughL Lo |usLce.
AmnesLy InLernaLona`s reporL 'Nct an IIness ncr a crme' Iesban, gay, bsexuaI and
transgender pecpIe n Turkey demand equaIty (Index 44/00T/20TT) can be found n Lhe nk
beow.
hLLp.//www.amnesLy.org/en/brary/nfo/EUR44/00T/20TT/en
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