Eylem Sonbahar
A court in Istanbul has postponed the trial of human rights defender Nimet Tanrıkulu to July 1, while slightly easing the judicial control measures imposed on her. The Istanbul 24th High Criminal Court ruled that Tanrıkulu, who is being prosecuted on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization,” will now be required to sign in with authorities once per month instead of twice. The court also ordered the return of her digital materials, which had been under examination.
Tanrıkulu, one of the founding members of the Human Rights Association (İHD), was present at the second hearing along with her lawyers. Observers included representatives from the İHD’s Istanbul branch, the 78ers Initiative (a civil society group formed by 1978-era activists), the Saturday Mothers (a group of families seeking justice for forcibly disappeared relatives), and Özgül Saki, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, as well as numerous supporters.
During the hearing, defense attorney Eren Keskin submitted publicly available sources regarding meetings Tanrıkulu allegedly attended, asking the court to consider them alongside the official findings. She also requested that the judicial control measure requiring Tanrıkulu to report twice a month be lifted. Another lawyer, Jiyan Tosun, noted that the examination of digital materials had concluded and requested their return.
The prosecutor asked for missing elements in the case file to be completed. The court then modified the judicial control measure, requiring Tanrıkulu to report to authorities only once per month, on the 1st. It also approved the return of her digital materials and adjourned the hearing to 10:20 a.m. on July 1.
Background on the case
Tanrıkulu was detained during a police raid on November 26 as part of a broader Ankara-based investigation. She was transferred from Istanbul to Ankara and formally arrested on November 29 on allegations of membership in a terrorist organization.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office submitted an indictment on December 12, but the case was transferred to Istanbul due to jurisdictional issues. The first hearing took place on March 4, during which the court released Tanrıkulu under judicial control, imposing a travel ban and requiring her to sign in twice monthly.
