Join the demonstration in front of Turkish Embassy to raise your voice against jailing of Berivan, a 15 year Kurdish girl, who was recently jailed for 8 years for allegedly throwing stones at armoured Police vehicle in a demonstration.
The conviction highlights Turkey’s practice of jailing children for terror-related offences under counter-terrorism legislation introduced in 2006. The law allows courts to try juveniles as adults and to jail them for up to 50 years. There are over 2,600 minors in Turkish prisons for offences such as throwing stones at the police, chanting slogans and making the victory sign in demonstrations. Berivan was mistaken for a demonstrator when she was walking on the road.
Berivan recently wrote in a letter to her solicitor:
“This place is such a difficult place, even if I tried to explain how much I can’t….They hit me a lot…They put this cream on my legs to cover the bruises so no one can see them. I don’t know why they treated me like this. I’m only 15, I never deserved this place. No one deserves this place. I am very upset here…I miss my family so much.”
On behalf of Berivan’s Mother and all Mother’s of Children in Turkish Jails we are going to protest near to Mother’s Day outside the Turkish Embassy in London and hand in petitions calling for the immediate release of these children.
Please join and help to build this demo. We can’t destroy our future by keeping silent today!!
Friday 12th March 2010
Time: 1430-1600
Outside Turkish Embassy
43 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8PA (nearest tube Hyde Park Corner)
Free Berivan Campaign.
For info contact: hevallo@gmail.com