VAN - Attorney Sedat Düşünmez, who was battered and detained by the police while returning from Mir Perwer's funeral, said that in the documents at the police station, Perwer as "member of an organization" and those who attended the funeral were written as "supporters of the organization".

 

Funeral of artist Mir Perwer (Mehmet Şirin Aydın), who was murdered together with KCK Executive Council Member Emine Kara (Evîn Goyi) and Kurdish patriot Abdurrahman Kızıl in the armed attack against Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Center on December 23, 2022 in Paris, the capital of France. He was laid to rest in the town of Ewran (Yeşilova) in the center of Muş on January 5, under a military blockade. The funeral, which was brought to Muş Airport, was abducted by the police waiting here, while the crossing routes were closed and the mass was prevented from participating in the funeral.

 

However, despite all the obstacles and the attack of the police, the mass joined the condolences. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Law Commission member and Van Provincial Organization Director, Lawyer Sedat düşünmez, was beaten at the police checkpoint, where he was stopped while returning from the funeral. Düşünmez evaluated what happened on the day of the funeral to our agency.

 

'SOLDIERS DEPLOYED TO THE AREA'

 

Stating that they were on their way to attend the funeral of Mir Perwer, who died in Paris, Düşünmez said: “GBT inquiries started even when Van debuted. GBT application was made on the vehicles that were stopped and this application was deliberately extended up to 15-20 minutes. We stumbled upon multiple checkpoints along the way, and all of them have been repeatedly GBT. When we arrived in Muş, GBT control was carried out. There I told the police about the illegality of the situation, but I was told that it was a routine practice. When they left Muş to go to the village where Mir Perwer was born, those who wanted to attend the funeral began to wait on the village road. There was an extraordinary military force there. In other words, as far as we can see, there was a law enforcement officer who came to intervene in the mass. The questions asked were simply 'the governor's decision to ban'.

 

'UNLAWFULNESS SKY-ROCKETTED IN THE FUNERAL OF MİR'

 

Stating that all law was suspended with the decision of the Muş Governorship, Düşünmez said: “By suspending the constitution, we were faced with the practice of 'entry-out is not possible' arbitrarily. Among those who came were Perwer's friends and family, but we were in no way allowed to enter. We held a sit-in. In the meantime, a very powerful gas was suddenly released. I went to report rights violations. I asked for a sample of the ejected gases, but it was not given. Gas was intensely sprayed, especially in the area where the elderly were present. In other words, people were targeted directly and the gas was squeezed out.” 

 

'LIVE AMMUNITION WERE USED IN FUNERAL'

 

Noting that the people later started to resist against the gendarmerie's attack, Düşünmez said: "After using gas and rubber bullets very intensely, they started using real bullets. There were various heavy weapons, I tried to watch them from afar, but there was no way. Many guns, these were guns with multiple scans and heavy weights. There were soldiers carrying these weapons and shooting. The unlawfulness of the gendarmerie that day did not end there. Afterwards, people were subjected to intense violence. Some of them were taken down from the vehicles and beaten with stocks. Afterwards, they detained the people they had beaten. As it got dark, people from different cities set out to return. The vehicle I was in was also on its way back to Van.”

 

VIOLENCE AT CHECKPOINT

 

Düşünmez, who was subjected to violence at the police checkpoint, said: “There was an intense police reinforcement at the checkpoints because the gendarmerie intervened in the crowd. Cops from every unit had piled up there. Nearly a thousand police from all branches were stationed there. People called me and said that the police wouldn't let me pass. When we got to the checkpoint, they told us the same things. When they objected, they used violence." 

 

Stating that the following about the moment she was exposed to violence: “Although I stated that I was a lawyer, the violence continued. They did not allow the women in the vehicle to get out. They kept beating me by removing me from the field of view of MOBESE cameras. Later, when I was taken to the detention vehicle, the superintendent came and punched me while looking me in the eye. The fact that no action is taken against those who broke the leg of the MP and the police who slapped our co-chairperson in Istanbul started to increase the dimension of violence against us.”

 

Reminding that Mir Perwer's funeral was also abducted that day, Düşünmez said: “This was a sign of great helplessness. After I was detained, they brought me a report to sign. I was able to read a part of that report and it was written as follows: 'The supporters of the terrorist organization who received instructions from the terrorist organization to meet the funeral of the person who was captured by the terrorist organization.'"

 

Düşünmez said that despite the pressures, people will not be silent and will continue to resist.

 

MA / Berivan Kutlu