By Fatma Müge Göçek, University of Michigan
Professor İştar Gözaydın, prominent Turkish legal scholar and sociologist was taken from her home in Istanbul December 20, 2016, for questioning and was formally arrested a week later. Thus imprisoned, an indictment was only submitted after two months, based on Gözaydın’s deposition and the public prosecutor’s investigation. After being kept in prison for approximately three months, she was released on March 30, 2017, following the court’s acceptance of the indictment. In spite of her release, however, she is barred from international travel by the same court order. Formal legal proceedings in a court trial will probably proceed sometime in September 2017. The prosecution will request a long prison sentence (10-15 years) if Gözaydın is found guilty.
