Will the Erasmus student be deported?

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“I am a journalism student, I was there to make news”

Detained Erasmus journalism student Lorraine Klein from France will be held in Kumkapi, Deparment of Foreigners Headquarters for a couple more days, in anticipation of the decision regarding her deportation. Klein says “I was there to make news.”

Erasmus program student Lorraine Klein from France, was taken into custody in Gumussuyu during Gezi Park Resistance demonstrations. She is now being held at Kumkapi, Deparment of Foreigners Headquarters, Center for Deportation.

It is not yet known whether Klein will be deported or not. It has been reported that she will be held in Kumkapi station for a couple more days, while her file was sent to Department of Foreigners, Borders and Asylum in Ankara.

Pursuing her education at University of Nantes in France, Lorraine Klein had been attending the Department of Journalism at Galatasaray University, an Erasmus Associate Program. She was about to return to her country after passing her last exams.

“I was there for journalism”

Interviewed on the phone by bianet while she was waiting at Kumkapi, Lorraine Klein stated that she was there to write a news article about it since she is a journalism student.

“On June 4th, I was there to take photographs and talk with the protesters during the demonstrations. I am a journalism student, Le Monde told us to write what we are witnessing. I was there to write an article for them, for Le Petit Journal at which I am doing my internship, and also for the university journal.

“I walked from Taksim Square towards Gumussuyu at 1am, I was planning to walk to Istanbul Technical University. Suddenly they started to throw incredible amounts of gas and I started running. In front of ITU, we were 76 people who were detained. I was also physically assaulted while detainment. I have a medical report for that. They took us to Vatan Police Headquarters. We were held there the whole day and then we were taken to the court house.

“The judge only asked why I was there and nothing else. Then I was brought here and I spent the night here. This is the first time I am being detained, I was there for journalism.”

Nilay Vardar

Source: bianet.org

June 6th 2013