Boğaziçi University protests | Court rejects 52 students’ request for acquittal

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

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Detained at the South Campus on February 1 for protesting Melih Bulu, the then appointed rector, 52 students of Boğaziçi University appeared before the judge at the İstanbul Courthouse yesterday (November 25).

While the students are charged with "deprivation of liberty" and "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations", the hearing was held at the İstanbul 24th High Criminal Court, instead of the İstanbul 49th Criminal Court of First Instance, on the grounds of the high number of people.

However, the capacity of that courtroom was also insufficient, which caused several students and lawyers to attend the hearing on foot. Four security guards who were allegedly aggrieved by the offenses charged and one plaintiff also attended the hearing.

Boğaziçi University academics, Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) İstanbul MP Ahmet Şık and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu followed the hearing as well.

'I am in solitary confinement for 51 days'

Having protested on October 4 and been arrested upon the complaint of Naci İnci, the current appointed rector, Caner Perit Özen attended the hearing of the case where he is not arrested pending trial.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Özen made his defense at the hearing and said that he is held in solitary confinement in prison.

Recalling that their two friends had been arrested before the day of the incident and they protested for this reason, Özen said, "We exercised our right to protest. We did not commit a crime. Melih Bulu called the police to the campus; we were dragged on the ground and detained."

Security guards didn't press charges

Taking the floor afterwards, security guards of the university said that they did not press any charges against the students and that they did not want to attend the trial afterwards. Security guard Ejder K., also a plaintiff, said that he did not press any charges, either.

Lawyers demanded acquittal

Speaking at the hearing, lawyer Burçin Şahan requested the acquittal of the students on the grounds that the security guards did not press any charges. Şahan also demanded that the international travel ban on several students, which had been in effect for 10 months, be lifted. The other lawyers of the students also expressed their requests for acquittal.

The students who made their defense afterwards said that they were tormented during the detention. A student indicated that s/he met the security guard who pressed charges against her/him afterwards and the security guard said that he did not know her/him. The student said that s/he was on trial in spite of this and demanded the lift of her/his international travel ban.

'Prosecutor violated international documents'

Taking the floor at the hearing, lawyer Ömer Kavili said that the prosecutor who issued the indictment violated international documents, adding that the prosecutor came under the order of the police.

"The police, who made the preparatory inquiry, did not collect evidence; but the prosecutor initiated the judicial process in spite of this," said the lawyer and added, "The security guards here have said that they do not press any charges. Isn't the prosecutor ashamed of writing them down as plaintiffs? They said that they were not aggrieved as plaintiffs. It has become apparent that there was no deprivation of liberty. There is no crime any longer. If there is a condition of acquittal, the continuation of this trial is a torment. These people were dragged on the ground, they were left without food and water."

After the lawyer's request, the court board wanted to order the press members out of the courtroom. Both journalists and lawyers protested this attempt. Journalists did not leave the courtroom.

Requests for acquittal rejected

Having heard the requests of lawyers, the court board rejected the' requests for acquittal though there were no complainants. As the reason for this rejection, they said that the protests constituted "deprivation of liberty" and "violated the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations."

22 students, in their defense statements, requested that the judicial control measures be lifted. While the prosecutor demanded the rejection of the requests, the court board lifted the judicial control measures on the grounds that their defense statements were taken. The court also ruled that Özen, currently arrested, should be exempted from the hearings.

The hearing has been adjourned until November 29.

Students applauded their friend Özen, who was taken to prison after the hearing, for minutes at the end of the trial. (KÖ/SD)