Eylem Sonbahar
The trial against Gülsüm and Sami Elvan, the parents of Berkin Elvan, on charges of “insulting the president” was postponed after a new prosecutor and judge were assigned to the case. The prosecutor requested additional time to review the case file and prepare a final opinion.
The trial, stemming from statements made by the Elvan family following court sessions in the case of their son’s death, held its eighth hearing at the Istanbul 43rd Criminal Court of First Instance. Berkin Elvan, a 14-year-old boy, was fatally injured during the 2013 Gezi Park protests in Istanbul when a tear gas canister fired by police struck him in the head. His death became a symbol of police violence during the protests.
At Tuesday’s hearing, the Elvan family was represented by their lawyer Deniz Özen, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s lawyer did not attend, citing an excuse. Members of the Saturday Mothers, a Turkish civil rights group that campaigns for justice for victims of enforced disappearances, were present to observe the proceedings.
The court noted that both the presiding judge and prosecutor had been recently reassigned. The prosecutor stated that he had not yet had the chance to review the case file and requested that it be sent to his office for preparation of the final opinion.
The judge, acknowledging that extensions had been granted in previous hearings, stated that this would be the final delay for the preparation of the prosecutor's opinion. The court ruled to send the case file to the prosecution and postponed the next hearing to Feb. 14 at 10:40 a.m.
Gülsüm and Sami Elvan have faced legal proceedings over statements they made criticizing authorities after hearings in the case of their son’s death. Their comments were reportedly made in the aftermath of a controversial legal process in which the police officer responsible for firing the tear gas canister received a sentence deemed lenient by the family and their supporters.
