By EYLEM SONBAHAR
ISTANBUL, June 26, 2024 - In the closure case against the Migration Monitoring Association (GÖÇİZDER), the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office did not respond to the request for the association's publications. Consequently, the court has decided to request these publications from the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court, where the association's members and executives were previously acquitted of "membership in a terrorist organization" charges.
The fifth hearing of the case seeking the closure of GÖÇİZDER, which works to promote social solidarity among forcibly displaced groups and advocate for the humane living conditions of migration victims, was held at the Bakırköy 15th Civil Court of First Instance. The association's lawyer, Ahmet Baran Çelik, and Public Prosecutor Yavuzhan Kocaman, who prepared the indictment against the association, were present at the hearing.
In the previous session, the court had written to the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requesting all publications and materials of the association referenced in the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) research report. It was noted that no response had been received.
Lawyer Ahmet Baran Çelik requested that the same documents be retrieved from the case file number 2022/287 of the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court. Prosecutor Kocaman confirmed that the foundation of the indictment relied on documents from the same court case. He suggested that the publications and materials cited in the MASAK report might be found in the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court’s records.
Agreeing with the prosecutor's assessment, the court decided to write to the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court to request the publications and materials mentioned in the MASAK reports. The next hearing was scheduled for October 11 at 9:30 AM.
Background on the case
Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, reporters for the U.S.-based Vice News, were detained in 2015 while filming a documentary on the conflicts in cities under curfew such as Cizre, Silopi, Nusaybin, and Sur. They were arrested on charges of "knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization" and later deported. The ongoing legal battles highlight the broader context of media and civil society suppression in Turkey.
GÖÇİZDER aims to foster social solidarity among forcibly displaced communities and advocate for their rights to live in dignity. The closure case against the association has been ongoing amidst a tense political climate, with accusations often linked to broader efforts to stifle dissent and civil society activities.
