Rabia Çetin
The trial of 139 people accused of participating in protests in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district following the annulment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s university diploma and his subsequent arrest has been adjourned due to missing expert reports. The third hearing was held at the 49th Criminal Court of First Instance at Istanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse.
Among the defendants is Berkay Gezgin, a former member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Party Assembly, widely known in Turkey for his slogan “Everything will be very beautiful,” which became a rallying cry for the opposition during the 2019 local elections.
Students detained after protests
The case centers on mass protests that erupted in March 2025 in the Saraçhane district of Istanbul, home to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) headquarters. The protests began after İmamoğlu — a prominent opposition figure and potential presidential contender — was detained on March 19, 2025. Following his arrest, police detained 102 students for allegedly taking part in unauthorized demonstrations. With later releases, the total number of people charged in the case reached 139.
The defendants are accused of “organizing and participating in unlawful demonstrations and marches” and “failing to disperse despite warnings.” A large number of the defendants and their lawyers were present at the latest hearing.
Lawyers demand progress and point to fair trial concerns
After confirming identities, defense lawyers requested that expert reports be added to the case file. These include forensic analyses of video footage from the protests and transcripts of remote court hearing recordings (SEGBİS), which are considered vital evidence. Lawyers also called for the trial to proceed more swiftly, noting that many of the students and workers among the defendants are being negatively affected by delays.
“The prolonged proceedings are harming our clients’ academic and professional lives,” one lawyer said, urging the court to respect the principle of a trial within a reasonable time frame.
Court awaits expert reports
In response, the judge ruled to wait for the expert reports to be submitted and granted the defense team additional time to present their opinions on the reports if they are added to the file before the next hearing.
The court also ordered that two defendants, Cem Kurnaz and Recep Güzel, be present at the next hearing so their identities can be verified and their defense statements taken.
The trial has been adjourned until Jan. 14, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
