July 5, 2024
Eylem Sonbahar
In the ongoing trial of 51 students and journalist Yağmur Kaya, who were detained during a protest in front of Istanbul Courthouse, the court has decided to request a report from the Forensic Medicine Institute at Istanbul University's Çapa Medical Faculty to determine whether the footage provided by the police was edited.
The ninth hearing of the case, involving charges of violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations (Law No. 2911), took place at the Istanbul 17th Criminal Court of First Instance. The defendants were detained on March 26, 2021, during a protest for students arrested at Boğaziçi University.
Represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), journalist Kaya did not attend the hearing, but her lawyer, Emine Özhasar, was present.
Defense arguments
Gamze Toprak, one of the defendants, stated that she participated in the protest to exercise her constitutional rights and requested acquittal, asserting that she had no intention to commit a crime.
Attorney Meral Bolat Akşen emphasized the right to peaceful assembly, arguing that authorities are responsible for ensuring the safety of such gatherings, not dispersing them. She requested an immediate acquittal, citing the right to a timely trial, as the case has been ongoing since 2022.
Attorney Hasan Ozan Kebapçı requested that the case of an individual whose statement had not yet been taken be separated from the main trial and that those whose statements had been taken be acquitted.
Court's decision
The court decided to send a written request to the Forensic Medicine Institute to analyze the footage provided by the police and determine if it had been edited. The analysis will include checking the sound characteristics, video dimensions, and colors.
Additionally, the court issued an arrest warrant for a defendant whose statement has not been taken and rejected some defense lawyers' immediate acquittal requests. The trial has been adjourned to October 11.
