EYLEM SONBAHAR
An Istanbul court has requested police video footage in the trial of nine people accused of protesting Turkey’s trade ties with Israel during a speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a TRT World Forum event. The footage is expected to clarify whether police issued official warnings during the demonstration.
The second hearing of the case was held at the Istanbul 8th Criminal Court of First Instance. The nine defendants are charged with “participating in an unlawful assembly and demonstration without arms and refusing to disperse despite warnings,” over their protest during Erdoğan’s speech at the TRT World Forum on Nov. 30, 2024.
Seven of the defendants attended the hearing with their lawyers. The judge rejected a request to hold the trial in a larger courtroom, despite overcrowding.
The prosecutor noted that while police records state officers issued three warnings to the protesters, there is no video evidence in the case file confirming this. He requested that the court summon the police officers who prepared the incident report and that the police submit a video CD from the day of the protest.
“The use of a right is being restricted by the judiciary”
Attorney Adem Bingöl opposed the prosecutor’s request, arguing that there was no need to gather further evidence at this stage. “You already questioned the defendants about the slogans, and none of them denied chanting them,” he said. The prosecutor clarified that the video was not being requested to verify the slogans, but to establish whether the required police warnings had been issued.
Lawyer Cem Kaya Karatün said that further investigation would not materially change the substance of the case. “We are witnessing the judicial system being used to limit the exercise of a basic right,” he said. He added that hearing testimony from the officers who drafted the police report was unnecessary, asserting that the case file was already complete and calling for an immediate acquittal of the defendants.
Concerns over fair trial and courtroom conditions
Karatün also emphasized the importance of a timely trial and said the protest should be protected under freedom of expression. “Court hearings must be public. Right now, observers, lawyers, and journalists are standing due to lack of space. This violates the right to a fair trial. We request a larger courtroom be provided,” he said.
The court ruled to request the CD referenced in the police analysis and identification report from the Istanbul Police Department’s Security Branch. Once submitted, the footage will be reviewed to determine whether police warnings were issued and whether it would have been possible for the defendants to hear them. The footage will then be sent to an expert for evaluation.
The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 30.
