Medine Mamedoğlu
A trial against members of the committee that organized the 2021 Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır, southeastern Turkey, was postponed on Tuesday after neither the defendants nor their lawyers attended the hearing.
The case, heard at the Diyarbakır 19th Criminal Court of First Instance, involves charges of “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations,” a common legal basis for prosecuting participants and organizers of political or cultural gatherings in Turkey. The 10th hearing was adjourned due to a request from defense lawyers citing valid excuses and the court’s acknowledgment of procedural deficiencies.
The defendants in the case include İrfan Söner, Hanife Kardaş, Mehmet Bakır, Rıza Barut, Zelal Bilgin, Yusuf Acar, and Serhan Özdemir. The next hearing is scheduled for April 4, 2026.
