(Adnkronos) – The party of former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has called for the release of hundreds of jailed protesters. “Chanting slogans, marching or protesting is not a crime, but a right enshrined in the Constitution,” said Republican People’s Party (CHP) spokesman Deniz Yucel after visiting a prison near Izmir.
Yucel called the arrests and detention of the protesters, mostly students, “illegal” and denounced the “disproportionate use of force” by security forces during the protests. The arrest and subsequent imprisonment of Imamoglu, removed from office as mayor of Istanbul, sparked the largest anti-government protests in Turkey in recent years. Imamoglu, who had been chosen as the presidential candidate by the CHP, the main opposition party, is considered the main internal political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 2,000 people were arrested during the protests, with 263 arrests. The opposition, on the other hand, claims that 301 people are in pre-trial detention, while an initial indictment provides for up to three years in prison for some of them. The CHP accused the police of “torture” against the detainees and denounced cases of sexual abuse. The Turkish government has not yet responded to the allegations of violence. The provincial governor of Istanbul, Davut Gul, appointed by the government, instead praised the work of the police forces, stating that they “correctly performed” their duty during the demonstrations.
During the current post-Ramadan festivities, street protests have temporarily subsided. However, the CHP does not want to stop, and has called for a large demonstration in Istanbul on Wednesday evening, which will be accompanied by a boycott of consumption, while the party has launched a petition calling for Imamoglu’s release and the holding of early elections.
