Pride Parade Trial Begins

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Trial of the activists who were detained during 15th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Parade planned to be held as part of the 25th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week, started today (November 16).

24 activists were detained during the Pride Parade on June 25, 2017 and that a legal suit has been brought on them over opposing to the Law on Demonstrations and Rallies.

Lawyers Aylin Kırıkçu, Davut Erkan, Eren Kara, Levent Pişkin and Rozerin Seda Kip observed the hearing held at İstanbul Court 48th Criminal Court of First Instance in Çağlayan today (November 16).

The defendants each stated that they were detained without any warning and subjected to ill-treatment, and demanded their acquittal.

The next hearing will be held on February 27, 2018.

The prosecutor prepared the indictment for the wrong parade

According to Yıldız Tar from KaosGL, lawyer Pişkin taking the floor first criticized the heedlessness of the indictment.

Pişkin said that the indictment states that legal actions were taken about 8th Trans Pride Week and he reminded the court that the trial is about the 25th LGBTI+ Pride Week.

Pişkin said that camera footage taken by the police are presented in the indictment as evidence, yet, these evidences were unlawfully acquired. The court turned down the demand that the footage be removed from the file as the demand will be evaluated together with the base judgement.

Being organized for the first time in 1993 under the name of “Sexual Freedom”, the week, its events and Pride Parade were banned by the governorship; activists were detained and the guest from abroad were deported. The pride week has confronted prohibitions in the later years as well but events have continued to be organized.

First İstanbul Pride Parade was held in 2003, which is 10 years after when the Pride Week started to be organized. The first parade held with 20-30 people has grown in time. In 2013, as many as 100,000 people joined the march on İstiklal Street.

In 2017, following statements of Alperen Movement and media outlets such as Yeni Akit targeting LGBTI, İstanbul Governorship declared that 15th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Parade won’t be allowed. During the day, police blocked the activists, people with tattoos, people carrying banner or flag or the ones who had rainbow badge in their bags. The journalists shooting on Mis Street were chased by police dogs. Associated Press (AP) cameraperson Bran Janssen was detained on the ground that he didn’t have his camera with him.

41 people including Alperen Movement and LGBTI activists who came to the parade were detained on June 25.

24 LGBTI activists have been sued. Alperen Movement members were released after the identification proceeding. (ÇT/TK)