DİYARBAKIR– Mahfuz Kolakan, the father of M. Kolakan, who was subjected to police violence while in custody in Farqîn, stated that he was threatened because he had complained about the police who used violence against his child before, and said that his son was subjected to violence once again because he did not retract his statement.

 

On June 6, in the Farqîn (Silvan) district of Amed, a 16-year-old boy named M. Kolakan was detained by the police at the Silvan Courthouse, where he went for his hearing to be held, and was subjected to physical violence. Mahfuz Kolakan, the father of M. Kolakan, who was beaten in front of his family with handcuffs behind his back, told the Mesopotamia Agency (MA) what happened.

 

THREATENED FOR COMPLAINING THE POLICE

 

Explaining that his son was subjected to physical violence at the police station after he was detained at the Silvan Courthouse, where he went to attend the hearing in February 2023, Kolakan said: "My son was also subjected to police violence at the Silvan State Hospital, where he was taken by the police. I filed a complaint against 3 policemen for torture in February. The police threatened me and said that I could either withdraw my complaint or they would hold my child responsible for every incident that happens in Silvan.``

 

'MY CHILD WAS HELD WITH HANDCUFFS BEHIND HIS BACK'

 

Kolakan described what happened at the Silvan Courthouse as follows: "The police officers waiting in front of the courtroom where the hearing was held, detained my child on the grounds that they would take his statement. During his detention, he was slapped in the face. He was also handcuffed behind his back and taken to the police station. He was subjected to physical torture. Even at the police station, his hands were handcuffed behind his back. I objected to this because there is no suspicion of escape. How will a 15-year-old boy escape even though there are dozens of police inside the police station? On June 7, he was once again exposed to violence in the courthouse.”

 

'TRUTH CAN BE REVEALED IN THE FOOTAGE'

 

Adding that he was pressured by the police to retract his statement a month ago due to the criminal complaint he made against physical violence against his son, Kolukan said: "My son was targeted because I did not file my complaint. I will not give up my complaint about the police who used violence against my child. A child cannot be handcuffed behind his back. There is footage from the police station 4 months ago, footage from the hospital, and footage from the courthouse. If the footage are examined, the truth will be revealed. I will use all my legal rights to ask for the images of the torture they have done. I will not let the case go. I will make a complaint so that other people will not be tortured tomorrow."

 

Regarding the issue, Amed Bar Association filed a criminal complaint against the child to punish those who committed crimes by means of 'torture' and 'misconduct of office'.

 

MA / Mehmet Güleş