Anarchist space infiAl Collective was sealed off by police. Three people from İnfiAl were taken into custody and some posters were seized with the reason that they were criminal and includes threats and insults against President Erdogan and other parliamentarians.
Following infiAl’s announcement of self-defence workshops will be done, islamist fascist Vahdet newspaper mobilized the police by publishing a report with the title “Anarchist are preparing themselves for civil war” and police raided infiAl which is a place that anarchists get together in Beyoğlu.
Police seized two posters which they found in the place and took three people who were in the place (one of them is lawyer) into custody.
They want to take them to Anti-Terror Office but the accusation is insulting president of the republic
Lawyer Davut Erkan who spoke to Bianet, told that attorney general decided to send the people who were taken into custody to the anti-terror office but as the police could not find any evidence to relate them with an organization and as they were charged with insulting president of the republic, they keep waiting in Vatan police department.
Erkan told that police raided the place three days ago but after the intervention of the anarchists who were in the place, they took a search warrant and came again today. Erkan said that:
“Vahdet newspaper published a report with the title “Anarchist are preparing themselves for civil war”. What they refer is a self-defense workshop. Today police come with a search warrant. Since they could not find anything about the issues in the search warrant, they seized two posters that they found in the library that will be set up for the memory of one of our friend (Kerem Kamil Koç) that we lost short time ago.
“The people who were taken into custody were brought to Beyoğlu police office first but after the posters that were found in the place the accusation turned into insulting president of the republic. For this reason they were brought to Anti-terror unit in Vatan police station.
“Attorney general decided to send them to the anti-terror office but as there is no relation with an organization our clients are still waiting in the police vehicle. Generally police behave negatively towards accusations of insulting president of the republic, therefore I think we will wait here a few more hours.”
Why was the place sealed off?
Erkan told that the place was sealed off with the reason of “it does not have business operating license” and he said that this place is a space of anarchists who organize movie screenings and workshops:
“It is not a place of business; they do not do anything with money. One of our friends rented this place as a painting studio. He speaks with municipal police, and they say that a license is not necessary for studios. But after it is realized that it is a political place they sealed off without a committee decision. The sealing off the place is not legal.”
The reason for the raid is “trainings related with PKK and marginal organizations”
The following statement is from the search warrant given by the 4th Lower Criminal Court:
“(…) in the investigation started after the news that reports in a building qualified for business, trainings related with PKK and marginal organizations were organized, it is found that the mentioned place did not apply for a business operating license to the municipality, in control of the business place by municipality officials tables and chairs were found, the windows were closed by curtains that the inside cannot be seen from outside, the renter could not be determined, and since the news in social media which express that in this place there are announcements about the trainings which were held by the groups related with PKK armed terror organization (…)”
PKK membership charges dropped, but armed terrorist group charges are still in progress
After police couldn’t find any evidence about the PKK charges, they again charged anarchists to be a member of an armed terrorist group’ with the charge of insult and threat against President Erdogan and other parliamentarians as well.
All 3 arrestees are released
All 3 arrestees are now relased according to prosecutor’s order. The prosecutor who saw that there is no any evidence about the charges and the raid and arrest processes were illgelly operated decided to release these 3 people from the Vatan police station at midnight. But police said to the 3 that that prosecutor will call you during week.
infial mekan is now closed because of the seal. This week it’ll be closed. After some legal processes it’ll be opened.
This piece arrenged from an alternative media: Bianet