LGBTI+ activist İris Mozalar released after arrest over social media posts
LGBTI+ activist İris Mozalar was released late Friday night after being arrested on charges of ‘inciting hatred and hostility’ among the public. Mozalar, a member of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), had been arrested following her social media posts that condemned attacks on Syrian refugees in Kayseri in late June.
Upon her release, Mozalar said, "I was released, surprisingly. Just two hours before, I was crying a lot with my lawyer friends. Now, I am crying from happiness. I feel very good." She asserted that her arrest was unlawful and expressed gratitude for the support she received during this process.
LGBTI+ Activist İris Mozalar arrested over social media posts defending refugees
Following Mozalar's release, the TİP made a statement on social media, saying, "Our comrade İris has been released! We will continue our struggle to make our country one of peace and brotherhood, not hate and hostility".
The arrest followed Mozalar's social media activity, where she criticized the violent protests against Syrian refugees’ homes, businesses, and vehicles in the Danışmentgazi neighborhood of Kayseri's Melikgazi district. The backlash was in response to allegations of a Syrian man assaulting a child. Mozalar was taken into custody during a raid on her İstanbul home on July 10.
Prosecutors charged Mozalar under Article 216/1 of the Turkish Penal Code, alleging that her posts incited public hatred and hostility. She was subsequently sent to court and ordered to be jailed. (AEK/VK)