The 955th vigil of the Saturday Mothers, a group of women demanding justice for their relatives who disappeared while in custody, was once again obstructed by the police.
During the police intervention, the Saturday Mothers, as well as activists supporting their vigil, were physically assaulted and subsequently detained.
Furthermore, journalists covering the Saturday Mothers’ protest also faced interference from the police. Dilan Şimşek, a reporter from the Pirha news agency, was forcefully dragged on the ground and subsequently taken into custody. This incident occurred shortly after Şimşek had already experienced physical assault during the previous week.
The Constitutional Court ruled on 23 February that the police attack on the peaceful protests of the Saturday Mothers constitutes a clear violation of human rights, however, the implementation of the court’s ruling has not been carried out effectively. For the past 15 weeks, the group have been prevented from gathering at Galatasaray Square.
The Saturday Mothers have faithfully staged sit-in protests at Galatasaray Square since 1995.
