11/10/2024 | Writer: Yıldız Tar
A large group attempted to lynch Syrian trans women with stones in Izmir. Selin, one of the trans women attacked in Izmir, shared her experience with KaosGL.org: “It felt like they wanted to kill us. We asked for help, however some people even mocked us.”
A large group attempted to lynch Syrian trans women in Izmir’s Eşrefpaşa neighborhood.
The incident occurred on 9 October when a group of men initially harassed the trans women as they walked down the street and then proceeded to attack them with stones. The women, injured during the assault, later filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor’s office.
“It felt like they wanted to kill us”
Selin, one of the trans women attacked in Izmir, shared her experience with KaosGL.org, describing the terrifying incident. She explained that they had gone out for a walk when they were suddenly assaulted. “We’ve been beaten before, but this time it wasn’t just a beating—it felt like they wanted to kill us,” she said, recounting the event:
“My friends and I were simply walking down the street, doing nothing wrong. Some men began shouting at us, hurling insults like ‘faggot, faggot, come here.’ We ignored them and kept walking, but suddenly, they started throwing stones at us. I was hit in the head and foot. We tried to run away and asked for help, but no one helped us. Some people even mocked us. Eventually, they caught me, and this time, they started beating me. We tried to call the police for our lives as we ran away.”
The trans women who were attacked filed a criminal complaint at the prosecutor’s office on 10 October. Selin, one of the victims, stated that they are determined to continue their legal struggle and want the attackers to be caught and prosecuted. She shared her fears and frustrations:
“We are afraid, we cannot leave the house. We are in a very bad situation. I was recently dismissed from my job because I am trans. We have experienced violence before and have filed complaints many times. I hope justice will be served this time.”
“This attack is not an isolated incident but a consequence of the growing racist and transphobic hate speech in society”
Özen Sarıoğlan from the 20 November Trans Initiative, who visited the trans women and gathered information about the attack, spoke to KaosGL.org and confirmed that they will closely follow the legal process. The 20 November Trans Initiative also released a statement on their social media, highlighting that these attacks are not isolated incidents:
“Recently, in Izmir Eşrefpaşa, two of our trans women friends from Syria were attacked with stones by a group of about eight people for no reason. Our friends, who were injured as a result of the attack, are still recovering, and a criminal complaint has been filed. We, as the 20 November Trans Initiative, will continue to follow the process until the end. This attack is not an isolated incident but a consequence of the growing racist and transphobic hate speech in society. We reiterate that to put an end to such attacks, we must unite in the fight against hate. We wish our friends a speedy recovery and call for increased solidarity.”
Tags: human rights, women
