Journalists and university students appear in court: Cases split, hearings postponed

Following the arrest of İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu on 19 March and his subsequent imprisonment, the first hearings of the trials against university students and journalists who were detained and later released during the protests in İstanbul are being held today at the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan.

A large number of MPs, politicians, and members of both local and international media arrived at the courthouse for the hearings. The courthouse and its surroundings were placed under heavy security, and those attempting to enter the building encountered barriers.

The first hearing of the case against 99 individuals — including students and journalists Bülent Kılıç, Yasin Akgül, Zeynep Kuray, Gökhan Kam, Kurtuluş Arı, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunç, and Emre Orman — is being held at İstanbul’s 62nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The charge is “participating in an unlawful meeting and demonstration without weapons and failing to disperse despite warnings.” Due to the high number of defendants, the hearing was moved to the courtroom of the 27th High Criminal Court.

At the 62nd Criminal Court of First Instance, lawyers attempted to present their objections regarding jurisdiction, but when the court panel refused to hear them, a dispute arose. The lawyers protested with applause, prompting a recess. The hearing resumed upon the return of the judge and prosecutor.

JOURNALISTS’ FILES SEPARATED

The court ruled to separate the case files of journalists Bülent Kılıç, Yasin Akgül, Zeynep Kuray, Gökhan Kam, Kurtuluş Arı, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunç, and Emre Orman. The files of four defendant lawyers were also separated.

TRIAL OF 90 YOUNG PEOPLE SPLIT

In a separate case concerning the 90 young people detained during the Saraçhane protests, the first hearing was held at the 65th Criminal Court of First Instance. Due to the small courtroom size, the session was moved to the courtroom of the 13th High Criminal Court.

İstanbul Bar Association Chair İbrahim Kaboğlu and the defence lawyers demanded the immediate acquittal of the defendants. However, the prosecutor stated that a final opinion would only be delivered after all defendants were heard.

ACQUITTAL REQUEST DENIED

The court rejected the requests for acquittal. Speaking again, Kaboğlu stated, “As the court has not issued an immediate ruling on procedural grounds, the right to a fair trial is being violated. We request the adjournment of the trial until fair conditions are ensured.”

Lawyers also called for the hearing to be postponed until a more suitable courtroom is provided, due to the current room’s inadequate conditions.

POSTPONED UNTIL JULY

Due to the insufficient courtroom space, the case involving 90 young people was split into two. The trial for 45 of them has been scheduled for July, while the hearing date for the remaining 45 will be determined later.

PARENTS’ SOLIDARITY NETWORK: WE WANT JUSTICE FOR OUR CHILDREN

Ahead of the hearing, the Parents’ Solidarity Network held a press statement.

The statement included the following: “Our children were subjected to violence during detention, spent days among criminal detainees, and suffered physical and psychological abuse.

Although Article 34 of the Constitution states, ‘Everyone has the right to hold meetings and demonstrations without prior permission,’ our children’s rights and freedoms were taken away simply for exercising this most basic right.

In these difficult times, we thank those who have sent messages from across the country, the volunteer lawyers who have never left us alone for a moment, the members of the press who gave voice to our children, the writers and artists who have always stood by us in solidarity, and everyone who has helped grow our collective strength.

We demand justice for our children across İstanbul and all provinces—those who have not yet been released, who are being tried without detention, and who have been subjected to house arrest or judicial control. We want our children to live equal and free lives not in foreign countries out of fear for their future, but here in their own country.”

SOLIDARITY FROM STUDENTS: YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

Students from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, İstanbul Technical University, İstanbul University, Koç, Bahçeşehir, and Galatasaray University gathered in front of the Çağlayan Courthouse to support their fellow students on trial. They are holding a solidarity vigil outside the courthouse for their peers attending the hearings.

Reacting to the violent arrests of their friends, the students stated: “They will not be able to criminalise the streets. We will bring all our friends back. We said these prosecutions were baseless and undemocratic. Today, a friend of ours who came to attend their own hearing was tortured and detained at the courthouse entrance. We know these decisions are completely unfounded. They are criminalising the streets and can easily detain one of our friends—who came for their own trial—by beating, insulting, and torturing them right in front of the courthouse. As university students, we’ve come together once again to stand against this.”