In the trial against 23 members and executives of the Migration Monitoring Association (GÖÇİZDER) on charges of "membership in an organization," a verdict was delivered on February 9, 2024. The court acquitted 22 individuals, while one person was sentenced to prison for "making propaganda for a terrorist organization."
The defendants were accused of being members of a terrorist organization and transferring funds received under a European Union (EU) project by GÖÇİZDER to the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party).
Berkant Yılmaz, one of the defendants, received a prison sentence of one year and six months for making propaganda for a terrorist organization. The announcement of Yılmaz's sentence has been postponed.
Background of the operation
On June 3, 2022, 22 members and executives of the association were detained in an operation. Six individuals were later released under judicial control, while 16 members of the association were arrested.
The indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" was accepted by the 26th High Criminal Court of Istanbul on September 14, 2022.
The indictment accused all defendants of being members of an armed terrorist organization. Additionally, Berkant Yılmaz was charged with making propaganda for a terrorist organization.
It was alleged that GÖÇİZDER used funds received from its EU project to finance members of the PKK and provide equipment for the organization's activities and actions.
Suspects released in first hearing
During the trial, the detained association members were released on January 5, 2023, under judicial control following a hearing at the Silivri Closed Prison Campus. The prosecutor requested acquittals at the hearing, and while the lawyers could not complete their defenses, the court postponed the decision hearing to February 9, 2024.
A separate liquidation case against the legal entity of the association is ongoing at the Bakırköy 15th Civil Court of First Instance. This case has been postponed to March 20, 2024, pending the outcome of the "terrorism membership" case.
About GÖÇİZDER
The Migration Monitoring Association (GÖÇİZDER) was established in Istanbul in 2016 with the aim of promoting social solidarity among forcibly displaced groups and elevating the demands of migration victims for a humane life. The association focuses on recording forced migration incidents, bearing witness to these events, and preparing observational reports.
According to informaton from the website of Truth Memory Center, the association has faced two lawsuits concerning its activities, and its executives have been fined for "Violating the Associations Law" and investigated for "Publicly Degrading the Military or Security Organization of the State."
