A prominent women’s rights activist and journalist Ayşe Gökkan was detained after her trial was adjourned.
A Diyarbakır (Amed) court has ruled to keep Ayşe Gökkan in detention following the adjournment of her trial facing charges of “being a member of a terrorist organisation”.
The trial was postponed until the next hearing, given as March 31, according to Yeni Özgür Politika.
Gökkan was sent to Diyarbakır Women’s Closed Prison following her defence in the court.
35 years of women’s rights struggle
Gökkan denied the allegations given by anonymous witness statements at the hearing. Her lawyers said that they have filed a criminal complaint against the false witness statements given by the anonymous witness named as “Ecevit”.
“I have been waging a women’s struggle for 35 years. So there is no so-called organisation as you claim, I was taking part in the women’s rights struggle. I have fought against militarism and the male-dominated system,’’ said Gökkan in her defence.
215 cases have been opened against Gökkan, who has been detained 83 times
Gökkan stated that she does not feel safe in the country, but she will never leave the country and she will continue to fight for women rights.
“The state wants me to worship them, but I do not worship the state. The fear of the abusers is the same as the fear of the enemies of my mother language. I will fight against both. I am a Kurd, I am a woman and I am here. I will not run away to anywhere,” she said.
Gökkan has been detained 83 times, 215 cases have been filed against her and she has stood in court 600 times so far, due to her women’s and Kurdish rights activism.
