MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – On October 16, a women’s rally was organized in Amed led by the Free Women’s Movement (TJA) and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Women's Council. Lawyer Elif İpek Tirenç Ulaş, also a board member of the Rosa Women’s Association, tried to attend the rally; however, she was stopped at a checkpoint by police officers. After she refused the body search, the police officers battered her. After the incident, the lawyer went to a police station to file a criminal complaint against police officers but “I learned that the police officers, who battered me, had filed a criminal complaint against me.” Upon the criminal complaint of the police officers, the prosecutor's office recorded the police officers as the complainants and Elif İpek Tirenç Ulaş, who was battered, as the suspect party in the file.

“I was subjected to physical violence”

Lawyer Elif İpek Tirenç Ulaş spoke to our news agency about the day of the incident. “I passed the first checkpoint to attend the rally, I wasn’t asked for my ID card or I wasn’t searched. But at the second checkpoint, police officers tried to forcibly search me even though I showed them my ID card. I refused the body search. Meanwhile, I was subjected to physical violence by dozens of police officers.”

“Police officers battered me and then filed a criminal complaint against me”

Elif İpek Tirenç Ulaş was injured in the arm by police officers. After the incident, she went to a hospital and received a report showing she had been battered. She went to a police station to file a criminal complaint against police officers, “They (police officers at the checkpoint) threatened me to detain me. After discussing for a while, I was told that I wouldn’t be detained but a legal process would be launched against me because female police officers had filed a criminal complaint against me. Then, I went to a hospital and received a report showing I had been battered. After receiving the report, I went to a police station to file a criminal complaint but I learned that the police officers had already filed a criminal complaint against me. In the file, I become a suspect while police officers, who battered me, become complainants.” 

“You cannot use any of your rights in the country”

Elif İpek Tirenç Ulaş will go to the prosecution office to file a criminal complaint against the police officers this week. “You cannot use even your constitutional rights in the country,” Elif İpek Tirenç Ulaş said, “I have right to refuse any kind of searches against me. But I wasn’t allowed to use it. When I objected to this, a second crime was committed against me and I was injured. Despite all these, I become a suspect in the file on charges of “resisting police officers” and “threatening public officials.” This happens due to the state’s policy of impunity. We know that the state protects the perpetrators in every incident.”