- The ninth hearing of the case against 51 defendants, who are being tried for allegedly following the Gezi protests, was held in Istanbul and lasted 15 minutes.
- The prosecutor requested punishment for all defendants, while defense lawyers asked for time to respond to the opinion; the court adjourned the hearing to Oct. 15 at 10:00 a.m.
Rabia Çetin
The ninth hearing in the case filed against journalist Umut Taştan and 50 others, who were detained in 2022 while following the Gezi protests, was held at the Istanbul 44th Criminal Court of First Instance. The hearing with 51 defendants lasted 15 minutes.
The hearing, which started 10 minutes later than scheduled, was not attended by the defendants, while defense lawyers Muhammet Oruç and Kıvılcım Ünal were present.
After identity verification, the prosecutor, whose opinion on the merits was asked, requested that all defendants be punished for the charges against them. The defendants are being tried on charges of “resisting to prevent the performance of duty” and “participating unarmed in unlawful meetings and marches and not dispersing voluntarily despite warnings.”
In their defense statements against the opinion on the merits, lawyers Oruç and Ünal said they did not accept the opinion and requested additional time to submit a written statement in response.
Announcing his decision afterward, the judge ruled that a letter be sent to the prison to ensure that defendant Deniz Bahçeci, who is detained on another charge, be present at the next hearing via SEGBİS (audio and video information system). The judge also accepted the excuses of some defense counsels separately and decided that the next hearing would be the decision hearing.
The hearing was adjourned to Oct. 15 at 10:00 a.m.
