Activist Adnan Vural faces trial for participating in anti-war protest
Adnan Vural, a former board member of the Human Rights Association and a member of the Health and Social Service Workers' Union (SES) Ankara Branch, is facing trial for attending a 2016 anti-war press statement organized by the White Flag Initiative. The case was brought against Vural after his participation in the event, which drew attention to civilian deaths during clashes between 2015 and 2016 in Turkey.
Vural, who was dismissed from his job in the health sector via a decree law (KHK) following the 2016 coup attempt, is being charged with "membership in a terrorist organization" and "making terrorist propaganda." The charges stem from his participation in a press conference on February 4, 2016, held in Ankara’s Sakarya Street, where the White Flag Initiative, which included health workers among its members, called for an end to civilian deaths during the conflict.
Indictment claims misleading anti-war actions
The indictment, prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, accuses Vural of using the guise of being a "peace advocate" to engage in what it called "misleading and deceptive actions" against the war. The press statement organized by the White Flag Initiative was labeled as an "unlawful demonstration" and "organizational activity." Social media posts made by Vural around the same time were also cited as evidence in the case.
Prosecutors argued that Vural attended the press conference under "organizational orders" and called for his conviction on charges of both terrorist propaganda and membership in a terrorist organization. The first hearing took place on September 24 at the Ankara 2nd High Criminal Court, with Vural and his lawyers, Çiğdem Kozan and Kerem Altıparmak, present. The hearing was also attended by representatives from SES and the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK).
Vural calls charges baseless
In his defense, Vural, a known human rights defender, rejected the charges, stating that his dismissal from the health sector via a KHK was an unjust act and that the case against him was an attempt to retroactively justify that dismissal. "The allegations are baseless. As a human rights defender, I was simply where I should have been," he told the court.
His lawyer, Çiğdem Kozan, criticized the indictment for containing factual errors and described it as a "forced legal document." She pointed out that even a commemorative photograph taken at the union’s 20th anniversary was included as evidence against Vural. "The press statements in which my client participated cannot be considered organizational orders; these are peaceful protests against civilian deaths, fully within the scope of union activities," she said.
Next steps in the case
The court lifted Vural's judicial control measures and postponed the trial to November 28, 2024, to allow time for the prosecutor to present the main opinion on the case. The charges have raised concerns about freedom of expression and the ongoing criminalization of peaceful activism in Turkey, especially under the broad application of anti-terror laws.
