Eylem Sonbahar
Courts in Istanbul held the first hearings in three separate trials against 99 individuals, including students and journalists, charged over protests that erupted following the sentencing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Defense lawyers pointed out critical flaws in the indictments, noting that many defendants were allegedly under arrest at the time the offenses were said to have occurred.
The protests, which took place near the historic Saraçhane area, led to a series of prosecutions. In one of the trials at the Istanbul 14th Criminal Court of First Instance, 30 people, including Nisa Sude Demirel, a reporter for the left-wing daily Evrensel, and Elif Bayburt, a reporter for the Etkin News Agency (ETHA), faced charges of "participating in unlawful assemblies and marches without weapons and failing to disperse despite warnings." Due to the large number of participants and observers, the hearing was moved to a larger courtroom at the Istanbul 41st High Criminal Court.
During the hearing, lawyer Özgür Urfa requested an immediate acquittal without questioning, which the judge denied. One defendant said, "The photo in the case file was taken from my social media. I was exercising my democratic right to protest. I was unaware of any prohibition and ask to be acquitted."
Attorney Jiyan Tosun criticized the indictment as poorly prepared, pointing out that her client was taken into custody at 6 a.m. on March 28, the same date listed as the offense date in the indictment, highlighting what she called the document’s "lack of seriousness."
Berçem Erçin, another defendant, stated that the photo used in the case file was not of her, yet she had still been issued a travel ban. Her lawyer stressed that Erçin had been accepted into the Erasmus exchange program but was prevented from traveling due to the incorrect identification.
The court briefly adjourned after a dispute between the judge and defense lawyers over whether testimonies could be given via SEGBİS, Turkey’s video conferencing system for court hearings. Upon resumption, SEGBİS recordings were used for defense statements.
Elif Bayburt defended herself by emphasizing her role as a journalist: "I am a journalist, tasked with documenting the rightful and legitimate protests of the people. The photo in the case shows me wearing a press card and carrying a camera. These arrests aimed to intimidate journalists. I reject the accusations and demand my acquittal," she said.
Her lawyer, Özge Büşra Boyoğlu, requested that Bayburt's case be separated due to her status as a journalist and emphasized that press freedom was at stake.
Similarly, Evrensel reporter Nisa Sude Demirel argued that her inclusion in the case was unfounded. She said, "A civilian secretly took my photo during a march from Maçka to Şişli. Adding that photo to the case file shows bad faith. This is a witch hunt against journalists."
Her lawyer, Devrim Avcı Özkurt, noted that Demirel was already in custody at the time alleged for the offense and called for her immediate acquittal.
At the end of the session, the court ruled to maintain judicial control measures on 14 defendants, including Bayburt and Demirel, and granted the journalists time to submit additional documents. The judges also decided to send the case file to a forensic expert for review of video footage, issue official letters requesting footage of the protests, and postponed the trial to Oct. 10 at 11:00 a.m.
Second trial: Protesters describe police violence and loss of livelihood
In a second trial at the Istanbul 50th Criminal Court of First Instance, 33 people faced similar charges. In addition, nine defendants were accused of "participating in demonstrations while armed or disguised to avoid identification." Due to space limitations, this hearing was held at the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.
Kadir Özkan Keskin, a high school student and part-time worker, testified that he was violently detained by riot police, spending 20 days in jail and subsequently losing his job. "I am now under house arrest and cannot work. I request the lifting of my house arrest," he told the court.
The court lifted judicial control measures for defendants whose statements were taken and requested that three police officers who signed the March 26, 2025, arrest records be summoned as witnesses. It also asked Istanbul's governorate to clarify how the protest ban was communicated to the public. The trial was postponed to Oct. 17 at 9:30 a.m.
Third trial postponed to September
In a third case at the Istanbul 74th Criminal Court of First Instance, 36 defendants faced charges similar to those in the other trials. This hearing was held at the Istanbul 27th High Criminal Court. The court requested documentation on whether the crowd had dispersed following police warnings and adjourned proceedings until Sept. 15.
The Saraçhane protests erupted after a court sentenced Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), to prison and political ban on charges of insulting public officials. His conviction sparked significant outrage among opposition supporters, civil society groups, and international observers who view the case as politically motivated.
