LET'S DRAW CARTOONS FOR JUSTICE...

The Law on Struggle Against Terrorism currently allows children to be tried and sentenced as adults on terrorism-related charges. Most children are detained or arrested while participating in demonstrations or rallies in the Kurdish provinces in southeastern and eastern Anatolia. Some of them face prison sentences of up to 25 years for throwing stones at security forces.

Recently, a 15-year-old girl was sentenced to eight years in prison for participating in an illegal demonstration in the eastern province of Batman. The girl is accused of chanting illegal slogans and throwing stones at police during a rally organized by the now-defunct Democratic Society Party (DTP) on Oct. 9, 2009.

According to an advocacy group for children’s rights, the Appeal for Justice for Children (CIAC), almost 4,000 minors have been victimized by the Counterterrorism Law. 43 percent of these children were taken into custody for a simple and childish reason like “carrying traces of stone in their hands,” “a rapid heartbeat” or “sweating.” For the remaining 57 percent, there is no concrete evidence against. Children were easily detained because of statements given by police officers or soldiers who basically say they saw those children throwing stones. Even a sergeant in Istanbul could tell that he did not see the child but ‘knew’ him from his body movement. These are ridiculous and not acceptable reasons to harshly punish the children in today’s world.

Laws accept everybody under 18 years old as child. But there is no any distinction between adults and those children who are under the jurisdiction of Counterterrorism Law. Children are tried in the criminal court and being held with adults in the same ward.

Unfortunately, the number of children keeps increasing in the custody and the justice for children has been delayed after each passing day. Tough penalties and double standard legal applications are destroying the life of these children. Therefore, the fact is becoming an urgent issue to be solved.

Regardless of in which part of the world, cartoonists always have something to say on any unfair and injustice situations and can make a difference when they want. We as cartoonists all over the world can draw cartoons for these unfortunate children to bring the unacceptable and injustice situation into the agenda of the Parliament once again. We remind that all these practices are too harsh and nobody should have a right to behave to the children like this according to the international laws.

No doubt, our cartoons may also contribute others’ efforts to provide the necessary legal changes to be made for these children. Because at their early ages, they must be in a school not in a prison just because of throwing a stone.

All cartoons we are going to draw will be exhibited on this web site and if possible, in the different places until the right justice for these children is supplied. This time, let’s draw for justice for stone-throwing children…

Baki Murat Top - 2001

The War in Afghanistan is an ongoing coalition conflict which began on October 7, 2001, as the US military's Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) that was launched, along with a number of coalition allies, in response to both the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, and as a result of other issues that had existed before the attacks. The UK has, since 2002, led its own military operation, Operation Herrick, as part of the same war in Afghanistan.