An İstanbul court has acquitted two LGBTI+ activists who were detained ahead of the 10th Trans Pride March held on Jun 23, 2024, KaosGL reported.
The activists were charged with violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations (Law No. 2911). The verdict was delivered by the 67th Penal Court of First Instance at the İstanbul Anadolu Courthouse.
The Trans Pride Week Committee had announced at the time that one of the activists were taken into custody while walking on the street and the other while drinking coffee at a café. Both were reportedly handcuffed from behind and detained for eight hours.
İstanbul Trans Pride March marked with decentralized protests amid heavy police presence
“There was neither a banner nor a march,” the committee had said in a statement regarding the incident. “One of our friends was detained while walking, and the other while drinking a latte. We know very well why they were detained, it is because of the state’s transphobic policies and our friends’ struggle that cannot be suppressed.
"The police and the state first claimed that a banner had been hung, then tried to frame it as an unauthorized demonstration. There was no banner, no march,conly the unyielding struggle of our friends, whose rights were taken away for eight hours simply because they are trans and LGBTİ+ activists."
The committee had noted that a police officer had later admitted the activists had been detained “on orders” because they were recognized. (TY/VK)
