In the ongoing trial against the BEKSAV Cinema Collective, stemming from the banning of a Pride Month film screening, the Istanbul Anadolu 45th Criminal Court of First Instance has ordered an expert examination of footage from the day of the event. The case involves eight people arrested during the attempted screening of the film Pride after the Kadıköy District Governor's Office prohibited the event.
The fourth hearing of the trial was held, where the defendants are charged with violating Turkey's Law on Meetings and Demonstrations (Law No. 2911). Lawyers Dilşah Taş and Serkan Kılıç, representing the defendants, emphasized that their clients were exercising their constitutional rights and had been detained without warning. Taş pointed out, "This was a peaceful intellectual gathering. There is no constitutional violation."
Kılıç added that the ban by the district governor was unconstitutional and requested an immediate acquittal without waiting for the analysis of the CD footage. However, the court decided to send the footage to an expert for review and postponed the hearing to November 19.
Background
In June 2023, BEKSAV announced the screening of Pride, a film about solidarity between miners and LGBTQ+ people. After the screening was banned by the Kadıköy District Governor’s Office, BEKSAV stated it would proceed with the event. Police surrounded the venue ahead of the screening, detaining several individuals, including members of the BEKSAV Cinema Collective. Those detained were later released near a distant hospital in the early hours of the morning.
