Eylem Sonbahar
A Turkish court has sent the case file of journalist Sultan Eylem Keleş and four others to an expert for analysis of video footage from the day of the incident. Keleş was detained while covering a protest by former employees of BİMEKS, a now-defunct electronics retailer, who were demonstrating over unpaid wages and severance.
The ninth hearing of the case, in which Keleş and four others are charged with "insulting a public official" and "resisting to prevent duty performance," was held at Istanbul’s 72nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The charges stem from a protest that took place on Sept. 17, 2020, in front of Boğaziçi University, where former BİMEKS employees attempted to demonstrate against their former employer, Professor Vedat Akgiray, who was teaching at the university at the time.
Keleş, whose legal defense is supported by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), did not attend the hearing. However, her lawyer, Hazal Sümeli, was present and requested the completion of missing case elements.
The court, which is hearing complaints from four police officers listed as plaintiffs, decided to send the case file to an expert for an examination of footage from the protest. The next hearing was scheduled for July 1 at 9:50 a.m.
