Swedish woman released after Turkey protest
A Swedish woman arrested during demonstrations on Istanbul's Taksim Square on Saurday has been released by Turkish police.
The woman was arrested on Friday and taken to Vatan police station in Istanbul where she remained until her release on Monday.
According to a Turkish news report, the woman - who is a journalism student and had travelled to Turkey for a vacation - was alleged to have insulted the hard-pressed Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The 24-year-old however argued that she couldn't possibly have chanted the slogans, in Turkish with another group of demonstrators, as she can't speak the language.
The Swede's lawyer Burak Mengü told the Hurriyet Daily News that his client is a journalism student at Stockholm University and was in Istanbul to observe the protests which began on May 28th following the break up of a peaceful protest to protect nearby Gezi Park.
Thousands returned to the square on Saturday evening to demand justice for a demonstrator who was killed by police fire.
The protests have continued into July and are now a regular feature of several Turkish cities, including the capital Ankara despite police crackdowns and warnings from the government.
According to the interior ministry some 2.5 million people took part during the first three weeks of the protests.
The Local/pvs
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The woman was arrested on Friday and taken to Vatan police station in Istanbul where she remained until her release on Monday.
According to a Turkish news report, the woman - who is a journalism student and had travelled to Turkey for a vacation - was alleged to have insulted the hard-pressed Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The 24-year-old however argued that she couldn't possibly have chanted the slogans, in Turkish with another group of demonstrators, as she can't speak the language.
The Swede's lawyer Burak Mengü told the Hurriyet Daily News that his client is a journalism student at Stockholm University and was in Istanbul to observe the protests which began on May 28th following the break up of a peaceful protest to protect nearby Gezi Park.
Thousands returned to the square on Saturday evening to demand justice for a demonstrator who was killed by police fire.
The protests have continued into July and are now a regular feature of several Turkish cities, including the capital Ankara despite police crackdowns and warnings from the government.
According to the interior ministry some 2.5 million people took part during the first three weeks of the protests.
The Local/pvs
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