MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – Lawyer Elif Tirenç Ulaş, a board member of the Rosa Women’s Association, has faced a prison sentence allegedly for “being member a terrorist organization”. In the indictment prepared against her, the association’s activities to prevent violence against women are considered a crime, and there are statements of anonymous witnesses. At the last hearing of the trial against her, the court demanded a prison sentence against her for “carrying out organizational (terrorist) actions by joining the activities of the Rosa Women’s Association”.

There is no concrete evidence!

We spoke to lawyer Asya Cemre Işık about the trial against lawyer Elif Tirenç Ulaş. She told us that the investigation opened against Elif Tirenç Ulaş and the demanded prison sentence are an attack against the struggle of women. Stating that the legal progress began after the police raid on the building of the Rosa Women’s Association, Asya Cemre Işık said that an investigation was launched after the police raid. Underlining that an indictment was prepared as part of the investigation including the activities of the association, Asya Cemre Işık said that the activities of the association don’t constitute a crime.

The activities of the association are considered as a crime

Stating that many members of the Rosa Women’s Association, including lawyer Elif Tirenç Ulaş, have been on trial for two years due to the report taken by police officers after the raid, Asya Cemre Işık said that women are on trial for the activities of the association. “The activities of the association are considered as a crime,” she said.

Pointing out that the women, who were tried due to the statement of the same anonymous witnesses, were acquitted of all accusations against them, Asya Cemre Işık said that there is no concrete evidence to accuse the members of the association. “Lawyer Elif Tirenç Ulaş should be also acquitted of all accusations against her because the activities of the Rosa Women’s Association are legal activities. All members of the association have carried out activities to prevent violence against women. According to international convention, states should support people working for NGOs but human rights defenders and civil society members are on trial in Turkey for their activities,” she said.

“Women’s struggle is on trial”

“We can observe that all of these trials are an attack on women's struggle. Actually, the activities of the association are activities that are protected in Article 33 of the constitution. According to this article, everyone can be a member of the association and carry out its activities. But the members of NGOs have faced many rights violations in Turkey. The trial against Rosa Women’s Association and Elif is a right violation against them,” Asya Cemre Işık added.

The next hearing of the trial against Elif Tirenç Ulaş will be held on June 14 by the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court.