Gökçek's body brought to Kayseri with police escort

2020-05-09 00:00:01


	ANKARA - The farewell ceremony organised today for socialist music band Grup Yorum member İbrahim Gökçek, who died after a 323-day death fast against the repression of the left-wing music band, has witnessed brutal crackdown by the police in Istanbul.

	 

	The Alevi prayer and assembly house (Cemevi) in the Gazi neighborhood, where a funeral ceremony was set to take place before Gökçek’s final journey to his hometown, Kayseri was besieged and attacked by the police in an attempt to prevent any gathering for the slain musician. Police broke the doors and windows of the Cemevi to get in and get the body of Gökçek from the morgue. His body was eventually abducted by the police who took it away from the area without informing the family and the mourners. At least 20 people were taken into custody during the crackdown, including lawyers.

	 

	Despite an agreement to hand over the body to the family while getting out of Istanbul in the Tuzla district, police did not stop and furthermore prevented the people following them in a convoy from getting the body.

	 

	Ayşegül Çağatay, a lawyer from the People’s Legal Bureau (Halkın Hukuk Bürosu, HHB) said the following; “Ibrahim’s parents, who are elderly people, are forced to get through a 12-hour drive without a stop. As his family and lawyers, we are concerned that a hasty burial will take place in Kayseri where fascist groups have already issued threats and made announcements against the funeral.”

	 

	Çağatay criticized today’s incidents, saying; “We are in the month of Ramadan. They claim to be Muslims but none of these acts have a place in conscience.”