Punishment for dissent begins with lengthy pretrial detention in Turkey
As the Turkish judiciary takes a summer recess, nearly 60,000 people remain behind bars as the trial process for political and terrorism-related charges drags on.
One month ago today, Yigit Aksakoglu was released from prison after being held on charges he’s still trying to understand.
The early childhood services advocate was taken into custody on Nov. 17, 2018, for “attempting to overthrow the government” during the 2013 Gezi Park protests, and was released on parole after seven months to continue his trial, in which he faces a life sentence without possibility of parole.
“I was picked up for no reason, that’s the only way I can explain it,” Aksakoglu told Al-Monitor.
Aksakoglu was included in a 657-page indictment along with 15 other defendants including prominent Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala in what would become known as the Gezi Trials. The group was charged with organizing and financing the 2013 protests that prosecutors claim sought to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party.
