- A court has acquitted 49 people who were tried for attending a March 25, 2025 rally in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district, held as part of protests that began after the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
- The judge also ruled that a criminal complaint be filed over allegations of torture and ill-treatment raised during the hearing.
Rabia Çetin
MLSA - The third hearing of the case was held in the courtroom of the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court due to insufficient capacity and started about 20 minutes late. The defendants had been on trial on charges of “participating unarmed in unlawful meetings and marches and failing to disperse despite warnings.” As part of the same case file, 14 students who had been detained and arrested on charges of “insulting the president” were released on different dates.
Some of the defendants and their lawyers were present at the hearing. After identity checks, defense lawyers argued that the indictment was unlawful and that the evidence had not been collected in accordance with procedure.
The lawyer of defendant Emir Sayar said: “A constitutional right has been criminalized by a governor’s order, and all kinds of ill-treatment were inflicted on the protesters. The ban on demonstrations and marches is unlawful, and people were subjected to severe violence during detentions. The detention conditions at Vatan Security Directorate are contrary to human dignity. Not giving medication for hours to a person with a life-threatening health condition, all forms of ill-treatment for four days, and the way statements were taken are unlawful. We request that a criminal complaint be filed on this matter at the end of the hearing. The indictment itself is also unlawful. Accepting the indictment in this form is contrary to the Criminal Procedure Code. The footage included in the indictment has been cut and edited; the police removed the parts where they committed torture. This evidence is unlawful.”
The same lawyer added: “Unlawful evidence must be removed from the file and an immediate acquittal decision must be given. With the annulment of the Istanbul Governor’s ban decision, it is clear that the elements of the crime have not been formed. In the previous hearing, defendants described ill-treatment and torture; these are notices to your court. Your court should take these into account and file a criminal complaint.”
Emir Sayar, who had previously been arrested and later released, drew attention to his health condition in his defense statement. “I have a life-threatening illness that requires regular medication. When I entered prison, my medication was not given to me for 5–6 days, despite my lawyers speaking with the prison administration. Due to the holiday, I was not taken for a doctor’s examination. For this reason, I stayed alone in a cell during my detention. Again due to the holiday, I could not even access hygiene products and water in prison. Prison staff would frequently come to my cell and subject me to ill-treatment because I asked for my medication,” he said.
His lawyer added: “The medication we provided during the police stage was lost. He was held in solitary confinement for 13 days in prison. Due to health problems caused by not being given his medication for five days despite his life-threatening illness, he had to receive treatment again.”
Another defendant, Muharrem Uyanık, said he did not attend the protest and described his experience: “I live in Fatih. On the day of the incident, after eating at a restaurant in Yenikapı, I tried to walk home because I couldn’t find a taxi. At that moment, while the police were chasing protesters, police officers and a night watchman jumped on me and forced me to the ground. They pressed on my head. I fainted in that অবস্থা and woke up when they poured water on my face. They dragged me in reverse handcuffs and put me in a police vehicle. When I asked for my family to be informed at the police station, they said I had no right to make a phone call. My family only learned I had been detained after filing a missing person report.”
Uyanık said he was held in custody for four days: “They wouldn’t open the door even for bathroom needs. We were given stale bread and expired food. Since everyone was in custody, we slept on the floor. I was victimized by this process. I demand justice and my acquittal.” His lawyer argued that his client was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and requested acquittal.
Defendant Ömer Çelebi said he had been working in the area and went to the scene out of curiosity. “I was working for an elevator maintenance company. While working in that neighborhood, I heard about the incident in Saraçhane and went there out of curiosity. While leaving the area, I was detained at the tram stop with reverse handcuffs. We were subjected to ill-treatment at Vatan Security Directorate. Because my family was not informed, they thought I had died. I do not accept the accusations and request acquittal,” he said.
Çelebi’s lawyer argued that the defendants were detained outside the protest area and that the elements of the crime were not present. The lawyer of Oğuzhan Özcan also said all defendants should be acquitted.
After all defense statements were completed, the prosecutor, asked for his opinion on the merits, stated that the elements of the crime had not been formed and requested the acquittal of all defendants separately.
After final statements, the court announced its ruling, acquitting all 49 defendants. The court also ruled that a criminal complaint be filed regarding the allegations of torture and ill-treatment raised during the hearing.
