EYLEM SONBAHAR
Photojournalist Bülent Kılıç has been acquitted in a case alleging he insulted a public official during the 2021 Istanbul LGBTQ+ Pride March. The Istanbul 67th Criminal Court of First Instance ruled that there was no concrete or credible evidence to support the accusation.
The case was initiated following a complaint by former Istanbul Security Branch Director Hanifi Zengin, who claimed Kılıç insulted police officers by shouting "animals" during a police intervention against protesters and journalists at the Pride event.
Court finds no evidence of wrongdoing
The fourth hearing of the trial took place without Kılıç's presence, with his defense represented by Emine Özhasar from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) Legal Unit. During the session, the prosecutor argued that the charges were unsupported by credible evidence and called for Kılıç's acquittal. The court agreed, citing insufficient evidence of the alleged crime.
Background of the case
The incident occurred during the 19th Istanbul LGBTQ+ Pride March when Kılıç, covering the event as a journalist, intervened to stop police officers from assaulting protesters and fellow journalists. Zengin alleged that Kılıç insulted the officers by calling them "animals." Kılıç denied the charge, explaining during his defense that his remark was directed at the excessive force used during the intervention.
"I have been a journalist for 22 years. That day, I was photographing the Pride event when the police intervened violently against both protesters and members of the press. I said, ‘This wouldn’t even be done to animals,’ but I did not call any officer an animal or say they were behaving like one," Kılıç testified.
The indictment, filed based on Zengin’s complaint, referred to the complainant using their police ID number rather than their name. Following its acceptance, a warrant was issued for Kılıç, which he discovered on Oct. 29, 2024, when he was briefly detained at Istanbul Airport. He was later released and provided his testimony in court on Nov. 1.
Acquittal closes contentious case
The court's decision marks the conclusion of a highly publicized trial that underscored concerns over press freedom and police accountability during public demonstrations in Turkey.
