EYLEM SONBAHAR
In the trial of 70 individuals who were detained during the 9th Pride March at Boğaziçi University, the prosecutor changed their initial stance and requested the acquittal of all defendants. The court subsequently acquitted all the defendants, including one posthumously, during the 10th hearing at the Istanbul 58th Criminal Court of First Instance.
The defendants had been charged with "participating in an unlawful assembly and refusing to disperse after a warning" and two others with "resisting a public officer." Due to the large number of attendees, the hearing took place in the courtroom of the 30th High Criminal Court.
On April 5, 2024, the prosecutor informed the court that they had revised their original position, which had called for the punishment of the 69 defendants. Instead, they now requested acquittals, stating that the legal elements of the charges had not been met. They also upheld the earlier recommendation to dismiss the case for one deceased defendant.
The prosecutor further argued that the statement "You are a fascist," directed at a university official, did not meet the criteria for "insult" and requested an acquittal on that charge as well. Additionally, they called for the acquittal of another defendant accused of "resisting a public officer."
After hearing from the defense attorneys, who supported the revised opinion, the court ruled that the charges lacked sufficient legal grounds and acquitted all defendants of the accusations.
