19/11/2024 | Writer: Oğulcan Özgenç
Evaluating the trial process to KaosGL.org, Lawyer Doğukan Taşdan said, “It was a trial process that continued with police harassment.”
The fifth hearing of the lawsuit filed against members of the Science Aesthetics Culture and Arts Research Foundation (BEKSAV) Cinema Collective for wanting to watch the film “Pride” during Pride Month last year was held today at the 45th Criminal Court of First Instance at the Anadolu Courthouse.
The prosecutor presented his final opinion in favor of acquittal due to the lack of sufficient evidence on whether the elements of the offense of violating the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations were established. The court acquitted the defendants.
Lawyer Doğukan Taşdan evaluated the trial process to KaosGL.org.
Stating that the main reason will be seen in the reasoned verdict, Taşdan said, “It has been an interesting trial process.”
"From the very beginning of the trial, police, private security, courthouse employees, TEM police officers persistently followed the case in a case that would not result in serious penalties since it was tried in the Criminal Court of First Instance. Journalists and lawyers were subjected to police harassment during the hearings. It was a trial that went on and on with police harassment."
“We said from the very beginning that this was a political trial”
Taşdan stated that the behavior of public officials to influence the trial process has been intensely observed from the very beginning of the trial. Taşdan underlined that the case was closely monitored by the state since it was a case related to LGBTI+ rights and said:
"There was no meeting and demonstration march anyway. At that time, they banned many events because it was Pride Week. They detained the foundation workers under torture. From the very beginning of the trial we said that this was a political case. From the very beginning we demanded immediate acquittal, we said don't wear people down with the trial. Even if it was a meeting and demonstration march, law enforcement or administrative authorities cannot prevent it."
What happened?
As part of the 2023 Pride Month events, BEKSAV Cinema Collective had invited people to watch “Pride”, a film about the solidarity of mine workers and homosexuals in the United Kingdom, together on June 7.
After the screening was banned by the Kadıköy District Governorate, BEKSAV announced that the event would be held, and the participants who came to watch the film together with Cinema Collective members were beaten and detained. “We defend the rainbow colors against the government's LGBTI+ hostility,” the foundation said after the police violence.
Tags: human rights, media, arts and culture
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