ISTANBUL, November 26 (IslamOnline) - The State Security Court in the Turkish southern province of Malatya ordered the imprisonment of three sister students wearing the hijab for participating in an “illegal demonstration” defending their right to wear the hijab.

Vakit newspaper reported Tuesday, November 26 that Malatya State Security Court jailed student Zahra Nour el-Hag Oglo, 19, for 30 months, her sister Norjahan, 17, for 20 months and their sister Jolan Intisar, 17, for 45 months on charges of illegal protest against a decision by Inonu University to ban students wearing the hijab from entering the university campus.

On Monday, November 25, the Milligazete newspaper slammed statements by President Ahmet Sezer in which he supported banning hijab.

The president’s statement were contradictory because they came after the Turkish parliament ratified in August 2002 legal amendments to enable Turkey to join the European Union, including the right to peaceful demonstration without a permit from the authorities, stressed the paper.

Ankara Court of Cassation upheld a similar verdict by Malatya State Security Court slapping a 45-month jail term against reporter Hoda Qaya over the same charges.

The reporter marched in a peaceful demonstration staged by veiled students in front of Inonu University.

In several articles, she condemned banning the hijab in Turkish schools and universities and defended the students’ right to wear hijab in schools as well as women’s right to wear hijab at work.

The Supreme State Security Court challenged the release of Qaya after spending 10 months in jail, arguing she was not eligible for pardon.

Inonu University is infamous for anti-hijab stances.

On November 16, the university security booted out Ramzya Almali, an executive secretary of the director general of the Turkish gas company (IGDAS), who was attending a gas exhibition organized by the university in tandem with her company.