Two daughters aged 15 and 16 of jailed anti-government Islamist leader Alpaslan Kuytul have been summoned by an Adana court over their participation in a march calling for their father’s release, the Gazete Duvar news website reported on Thursday.
The summons was shared on Twitter by Semra Kuytul, the wife of the jailed leader.
“You have got to be kidding me! Court files opened for my kids who walked alongside me wearing neck scarves bearing messages for freedom,” she tweeted.
In the tweet she shared a picture of the court summons, where it can be seen that the two girls, born in 2003 and 2004, are described as “juveniles pushed to crime.”
She also claimed that their prosecution was a message aimed at intimidating people from standing by the oppressed, even if that person is a close family member.
“I have not pushed my kids to crime. On the contrary, I taught them about honor, courage and laying claim to justice. I am proud of them,” Semra Kuytul said.
Furkan Foundation chair Alpaslan Kuytul, a fierce critic of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in his speeches, was first detained in February 2018 for allegedly spreading propaganda on behalf of terrorist groups.
He faces a sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted.
Since a failed coup on July 15, 2016, the Turkish government has jailed its critics on terrorist propaganda charges, using speeches, social media posts and newspaper columns as evidence.