On Monday, September 23, the 24th Istanbul Heavy Penal Court in Turkey will hear a disturbing case involving high school girls under the age of 18, who are facing terrorism charges. These girls are being prosecuted for activities as simple as ‘studying together, going to a shopping mall, and placing joint orders on the delivery app Yemek Sepeti.’
Attorney Hatice Yıldız, representing one of the girls, took to social media to urge the public to attend the hearing. She has invited all concerned citizens to witness the trial firsthand on Monday, September 23.
In her post, Yıldız stated: “I invite everyone in Turkey who believes in justice to attend the trial, which I call the ‘Don’t Even Breathe’ case, set to begin on September 23 at the 24th Istanbul Heavy Penal Court.
One of my clients, along with other young daughters of this nation, is being accused of membership in an armed terrorist organization, based on absurd allegations. These girls—ostracized by society because of legal actions taken against their parents—are now being further targeted for activities like confiding in each other, eating together, and going to the movies. These normal behaviors are being twisted into terrorism charges.
To sum it up, the prosecutor seems to believe that the social isolation these children have already faced due to their parents’ legal situations isn’t enough—they want to legally isolate them as well.”
What Are the Children Being Charged With? The trial, beginning on September 23, involves charges of ‘membership in a terrorist organization’ against the girls for allegedly ‘studying together, ordering food from Yemek Sepeti, and going to the movies.’ During dawn raids, the 13- to 15-year-old girls were taken from their homes, and it was revealed that police pressured them to make false statements about their parents during interrogations. Reports also indicate that police threatened the children, saying, “They’ll make you suffer inside!”
