Three defendants in the Gezi Park trial have been acquitted after a retrial following the Court of Cassation’s decision to overturn their previous 18-year prison sentences.
Mücella Yapıcı, Ali Hakan Altınay, and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi were acquitted today by the İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court due to lack of evidence.
The defendants were not present in court, but their attorneys attended the hearing. Necla Saadet Durdu, representing the General Directorate of Security, was also present.
In his final opinion, the prosecutor stated that there was no clear, concrete, or material evidence proving the defendants committed the alleged crime, and therefore recommended acquittal. The defense lawyers supported this assessment and asked for a ruling in line with the prosecutor’s opinion.
The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict Yapıcı, Altınay, and Ekmekçi on charges of "attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey or obstruct its functions." The panel concluded that the defendants should be acquitted on the grounds that no definitive and legally admissible evidence was found.
Background
In the initial trial at the İstanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court, 16 defendants were prosecuted over their involvement in the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the countrywide anti-government demonstrations. On Feb 18, 2020, the court acquitted nine of the defendants and ordered the release of Osman Kavala, the only one held in custody at the time. The cases of seven other defendants living abroad were separated.
Following the acquittals, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the court’s decision. The judicial panel was subsequently replaced, and the prosecution appealed the ruling.
In the retrial, which concluded on Apr 25, 2022, Kavala was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "attempting to overthrow the government" for allegedly organizing and financing the protests. Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman, Mine Özerden, Çiğdem Mater Utku, Mücella Yapıcı, Ali Hakan Altınay, and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi were each sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The Court of Cassation later overturned the convictions for Yapıcı, Altınay, and Ekmekçi, ordering a retrial. The three have now been acquitted in the latest ruling while the other five are still in prison.
.jpg)
Who are the eight convicts of the Gezi case?
(HA/VK)
.jpg)
