Ten of the 36 youth members who were taken into custody in scope of an investigation on November 8, were arrested by the court. The youth members who were detained for 8 days told about what they have been through.

 

Merve Öztep who stated that they did not know why they were detained, said that they were imposed a strip search and were battered and threatened because they did not accept it. Öztep also stated that they handcuffed them behind the back while they were being taken to the hospital, said that there are no legal grounds to it and therefore they objected to be handcuffed and they were beaten for it again.

 

 

Öztep stating that they will not give up their struggle against this oppression, said: "Our friends were arrested without presenting any concrete reason. We know that they will be released in a few months. That happened before."

 

One of the youth members, Ercan Özdaş emphasized that the reason for the extension of their detention was to torture them more, said: "They tortured us a lot. I have been in prison before, I haven't seen anything like it. They tried to strip search us, rejecting to strip ended in more beating."

 

Özdaş stating that even though it was obvious they were tortured, said that the doctor did not give them a medical report and told them they were ok. Özdaş said that the police threatened them with arrest if they ever contact HDP again.

 

İkram Doğan who stated that they were detained and tortured for their political activities, said: "We are the HDP Youth Assembly. Our work tried to be illegalized and marginalized. Their threats can not intimidate us."