Amnesty International condemns ban on Pride March, police violence

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Amnesty International has released a written statement about the 19th İstanbul Pride March, which was met with heavy police violence.

Referring to the Pride March to be held in Taksim on June 26, the organization has said, "Amnesty International condemns the baseless and arbitrary banning for the sixth consecutive year of Istanbul Pride in clear violation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression and the use of unnecessary and excessive force on Pride participants."

The allegations of torture or other ill treatment must be promptly, independently and impartially investigated and state officials found to have been responsible must be brought to justice in fair trials.

Further in the statement, Amnesty International has also called on the relevant authorities in Turkey "to end the violation of the right to peaceful assembly and expression of LGBTI people and their allies."

'Unlawfully banned for six years'

The organization's statement has reminded the international community that "the annual Istanbul Pride march has been unlawfully banned and peaceful protestors have been subjected to police use of unlawful force and arbitrary detention every year since 2015."

It has also recalled that the LGBTI+ Pride Week Committee first wanted to hold the march in the designated meetings area in Maltepe district; however, as the Governor's Office of İstanbul banned it, the Committee decided to organize the march in Taksim, Beyoğlu.

Amnesty International has shared the following observations of lawyers and witnesses as to police violence against Pride participants:

"According to eyewitnesses including lawyers who were on duty to observe and offer legal aid to any Pride march participant who may need it, the police intervention started around 3pm without any announcement or warning in Mis street, a pedestrian side street off Istiklal Avenue.

"Rows of riot police in helmets and holding shields forcing anyone in their way down the street in what is dubbed 'sweeping', then returning to the top of the street to start again.

A human rights defender who witnessed the use of excessive force told Amnesty International that the riot police used tear gas and plastic bullets on the protestors and others as they came back down the street again, this time also attempting to pick up individuals sitting in the cafes along the street or standing on the side of the street.

"The human rights defender was among those grabbed from a café, found themselves in the middle of several riot police officers being pushed and shoved, likening their experience to a pinball, being eventually thrown off to the side. Around 25 people were detained in this way, and many others had their phones taken away and photos and videos being deleted if they could not show a press card.

"A lawyer reported that while they were trying to speak to the police to try and calm the situation, riot police pinned a woman on the floor and detained her.

"According to eyewitnesses, no one was allowed to leave Mis street until after 6pm. Another lawyer told Amnesty International that they were pushed, shoved and grabbed by police officers despite showing their professional ID. The lawyer stated that they were covered in bruises and had been subjected to verbal and physical harassment.

"The lawyer told Amnesty International that Sera Kadıgil, an opposition MP from the Workers Party of Turkey (TIP) who was in Mis street, was also subjected to excessive force. Another lawyer is said to have a cracked bone on their feet.

"Bülent Kılıç, a journalist with the AFP was also brutally detained as he was taking pictures of the riot police using excessive force on protestors.

Several images seen by Amnesty International corroborate Bülent Kılıç's account of his detention, clearly showing a police officer kneeling on his neck while he is pinned face down on the ground with his hands on his back. Amnesty International considers the treatment he received amounts to torture or other ill-treatment.

"Police detained at least 47 people, including two minors, one lawyer and a trainee lawyer and the journalist Bülent Kılıç in the course of the day, mostly from Mis street but also outside Noh Radio bar in the nearby Çukurcuma neighborhood. All those detained were released later that day." (KÖ/SD)