Reasoned decision: Ayşe Gökkan’s activities are considered as “a serious threat to democratic life”
Ayşe Gökkan, a women’s rights defender and politician, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The court prepared its reasoned decision for the prison sentence given to Ayşe Gökkan. In the decision, Ayşe Gökkan’s activities in her political life are described as crimes and “a serious threat to democratic life.”
MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU
Amed- Women’s rights defender Ayşe Gökkan, who has been detained 80 times in her life and tried eight times on charges of “being a member of a (terrorist) organization”, has faced more than 200 investigations against her. The investigations launched against her were merged and the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court sentenced Ayşe Gökkan to a total of 30 years in prison on October 20, 2021. The court prepared its reasoned decision and sent it to the lawyers of Ayşe Gökkan.
The reasoned decision includes all activities of Ayşe Gökkan. The 121-page reasoned decision also includes the testimonies of five anonymous witnesses. Ayşe Gökkan’s lawyers describe the decision as a “disaster” and told us they would object to the decision.
Planting trees was considered a crime
In the reasoned decision, planting trees in a cemetery, using the word of Kurdistan, being a member of the DTK (Democratic Society Congress), attending women’s meetings were considered crimes. The testimonies of five anonymous witnesses named “'ZS35SN58UV52PG10”, “Uzay”, “Hafız”, “Firar”, “Ezel” claim that Ayşe Gökkan is a member of a terrorist organization and that she had received weapon training. The same anonymous witnesses were revealed to bear testimony in other trials. The lawyers of Ayşe Gökkan demanded that the anonymous witnesses be brought to court and listened; however, the anonymous witnesses, who bore testimonies three years ago, have not been reached yet.
Ayşe Gökkan is a “serious threat”
Every word used by Ayşe Gökkan during the meetings of the DTK is also included in the decision. In addition, her membership of the DTK and Rosa Women’s Association and being the spokesperson of the Free Women’s Movement (TJA) are considered as evidence showing her membership of a terrorist organization. The court decides that Ayşe Gökkan's activities posed a serious threat to democratic life. “The defendant, who encouraged the use of violence and undemocratic methods with her activities and words, worked to recruit members to the (terrorist) organization, to increase the number of supporters of the organization and legitimate the violent actions of the organization,” claimed in the reasoned decision.
Her lawyers will object to the decision
Ayşe Gökkan’s lawyers describe the reasoned decision as a “disaster” and told us they would object to the decision.
On October 20, 2021, Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court sentenced Ayşe Gökkan to a total of 30 years in prison as follows: 12 years in prison on the charge of “membership of a terrorist organization”, seven years and six months on a second charge of “membership of a terrorist organization”, seven years and six months on the charge of “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization” and three years for “propagandizing for a terrorist organization”. During the final hearing, Ayşe Gökkan and her lawyers decided not to present a defense because of the attitude of the court towards the defendant and her lawyers during the previous hearings on her case. On September 13, 2021, during the previous hearing of Ayşe Gökkan’s case before the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court, her lawyers as well as several other human rights lawyers and Diyarbakır Bar Association board members, were physically and verbally attacked in the courtroom by police officers and a court president.