Rabia Çetin
The second hearing in the trial of 66 people, including journalist Zilan Gür who was detained while covering protests in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district, lasted just 25 minutes on Friday, with defense lawyers criticizing what they said was a lack of evidence and a 1.5-page indictment.
The defendants are charged with “participating in an unlawful meeting and march without weapons and failing to disperse despite warnings.” The case is being heard at Istanbul’s 26th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Because the assigned courtroom was too small, the hearing was moved to the larger courtroom of the Istanbul 17th High Criminal Court. Proceedings began 15 minutes late due to workload issues.
Around 20 defendants, including Sendika.org reporter Muzaffer Zişan Gür, were present at the hearing, along with numerous defense lawyers.
After identity checks, defendant Yunus Emre Topkara, who had not previously given a statement in court, delivered his defense statement. He said he and his friends decided to go to Saraçhane after seeing news reports about the events while they were studying together.
“Police began intervening before we even entered the area,” Topkara said. “Since I had just arrived, I didn’t feel the need to run. I was detained while waiting. I did not hear any police announcement to disperse, and I was not aware of the governor’s ban. I did not see the police open a corridor for people to disperse.”
Following Topkara’s statement, the judge said that the Istanbul Governor’s Office had submitted its decision banning protests and events related to the Saraçhane demonstrations to the case file, as previously requested by the court.
Defense lawyers argued that the governor’s ban had since been annulled. They also claimed that many of the defendants were subjected to ill-treatment during detention and said there was no evidence supporting the charges.
The lawyers stated that expert reports had undermined the investigating prosecutor’s allegations and that no new evidence was likely to emerge. They requested that the investigation phase be concluded. They also noted that the indictment against the 66 defendants was only 1.5 pages long and argued that it contained no concrete evidence.
After hearing the defense’s requests, the judge ruled that one defendant who has not yet given a statement must appear at the next hearing. Another defendant will give a statement by judicial instruction in April in the southwestern province of Isparta, where they reside. An arrest warrant was issued for defendant Yağız Yücel.
The judge also ordered the Istanbul Police Department to submit security camera footage from the area where the 66 individuals were detained. The hearing was adjourned until July 3 at 10 a.m.
Saraçhane, located in central Istanbul and home to the city’s municipal headquarters, has in recent years been the site of protests and political gatherings, often drawing heavy police presence and leading to detentions.
