Rabia Çetin
The trial of 12 individuals detained after police raids following a May Day march in Istanbul has been postponed after an expert report was submitted to the court. The defendants face charges including “resisting to prevent the execution of a public duty,” “participating in an illegal assembly and refusing to disperse despite warnings,” “intentional injury,” and “damaging public property.”
The second hearing of the case took place at the Istanbul 25th Criminal Court of First Instance on Jan. 7.
Case details and courtroom developments
The charges stem from a May 1, 2024, attempt to march from Saraçhane to Taksim Square, which was followed by police raids in subsequent days. Nineteen police officers are listed as complainants in the case. At a previous hearing, eight of the defendants who were in pre-trial detention were released.
At today’s hearing, a police officer testifying as a complainant stated:
"I am a complainant, but I do not wish to join the case as a party."
Following this statement, the court acknowledged the submission of the awaited expert report, which examines evidence related to the allegations. The defendants' lawyers requested additional time to review the report, which the court granted.
New hearing date
The trial has been rescheduled for June 24, 2025, at 9:35 a.m., allowing the defense team sufficient time to analyze the expert findings.
