A student who was placed under house arrest due to supporting the Boğaziçi University protests has ironically had a second judicial control decision imposed which directly contradicts the first and obligates the student to break the house arrest decision to go to a police station on a weekly basis to sign in, Yeni Yaşam reports.
Since the protests began against the state-appointed rector to Boğaziçi University, 11 university students have been imprisoned and at least 25 people were under house arrest. At least 557 students have also been detained since the beginning of the protests.
Hivda Selen, a Contemporary Turkish Dialects and Literature student at a Istanbul University is among those who were detained at the Boğaziçi protests in Istanbul. After having been detained and placed under house arrest, the violations of rights she was subjected to were multiplied by a new contradictory decision of judicial control.
Chained by ‘modern shackles’ on her ankle
The court sentenced her to house arrest, that violates her freedom of movement or travel anywhere out of her house as she has an electronic tag or monitor, that is ‘chained’ to her ankle and keeps track of her location.
Defining the ankle monitors on her feet as ‘modern shackles’ Selen thinks the reason she is being punished is because of the state’s policy against the students fighting for their rights.
“They do not want us to be in the streets protesting against them, that is why they have placed us under house arrests,” she said.
A decision against ‘the laws of science’
After she was placed in this form of house arrest and tagged, more police officers knocked on her door, informing her that she has now a second judicial control to follow.
However, this second judicial control decision contradicts the first and forces her to ‘break’ the house arrest decision and to physically go to the police station every week to give a signature.
“This is against the laws of science, I cannot be both at home and also go to the police station,” said Selen reacting against the absurdity of the decision.
Stuck, between two contradictory judicial controls that require her to both stay at home and leave home, Selen mused on the possible outcomes of failing either of the decisions. “If I go to the police station I will be violating the conditions of my house arrest. However, the police could possibly raid my house in the middle of the night and arrest me for not atttending my weekly signature session at the police station.”
