Lawyer Merve Nur Doğan of Diyarbakır Bar Association was forcibly brought to the SEGBİS room by court order to the hearing she refused to attend to protest the absolute isolation of Öcalan. She was sentenced to 9 years in prison.
The final hearing of lawyer Merve Nur Doğan, who was arrested on October 7, 2020, on the grounds of having photographs with guerrillas that had been martyred in a clash in rural areas of Lice district of Amed (Diyarbakır) on October 3, 2020, was held at Diyarbakır 10th Heavy Penal Court. Doğan's lawyers, Adile Salman and Servet Özen, and the President of Diyarbakır Bar Association, Nahit Eren, attended the hearing.
Merve Nur Doğan, who is held in Tarsus Women's Closed Prison, petitioned the court that she would not attend the hearing. The court decided that Merve Nur Doğan should be physically forced to attend the hearing via Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS). Upon this decision, the lawyer was brought to the SEGBİS room by force.
Speaking in Kurdish, Merve Nur Doğan stated that she decided not to attend the hearing because she does not accept the absolute isolation imposed on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Emphasising that she would not accept any decision of the court against her, Doğan said, “I condemn and do not accept the isolation imposed on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. For this reason, I did not attend the hearing, I was brought to court by force. I do not accept this either.” She added that she would not make a defence before the court.
While the prosecution demanded a prison sentence for Merve Nur Doğan, her lawyers emphasised that it is unacceptable to bring her to the SEGBİS room by force and that this is a violation of human rights.
The court sentenced Merve Nur Doğan to 9 years in prison on the charge of ‘being an illegal organisation member’ and decided for her imprisonment to continue. Doğan protested the sentence with the slogan ‘Bijî Serok Apo’ [Long Live Leader Öcalan].
