Turkish police batter disabled man at Diyarbakır Courthouse

Turkish police have battered Şehmus Demir, who is 72 percent disabled, at a courthouse in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakır province. Lawyers who witnessed the incident said that when they tried to intervene, they were prevented by police officers.

Thursday March 30 2023 05:32 pm

Evrim Deniz / Gazete Duvar

Turkish law enforcement officers battered Şehmus Demir, who is 72 percent disabled, for expressing that he wanted to smoke at a courthouse in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. Lawyers who witnessed the incident said that when they tried to intervene, they were prevented by police officers.

Accordingly, Demir asked officers to smoke a cigarette in the courthouse where he was taken to testify on March 29.

The lawyers stated in the official record that police officers began to batter Demir in the courthouse corridors and then took him to the toilet. The lawyers said that “When we tried to intervene in the situation, a police officer slammed the toilet door in our faces." After the door was closed, Demir was heard saying "Don't hit me, brother."

One of the lawyers stated that Demir did not file a criminal complaint because he was afraid. “Even if the person does not file a complaint, an investigation should be launched against the law enforcement officers. But such acts of violence have become normal because officers know that there will be no punishment, so they can easily commit this crime even in the middle of the courthouse," the lawyer Emin Cengiz added.

Lawyers have applied for the examination of the footage and requested a medical report for Şehmus Demir.

(English version by Can Bodrumlu)