04/06/2021 | Writer: Yiğit E Korkmaz
The Boğaziçi rainbow case has been adjourned to June 28th. The judicial control for students, which mandated daily signatures at a police station, has been lifted, but the ban on leaving the country still in force.
“Those who protested the detainment of students who protested the detainment of those who protested the detainment of students who protested the disciplinary investigation against a student carrying a rainbow flag at the Boğaziçi University have been detained in front of Çağlayan Courthouse of İstanbul.”
These sentences are a summary of what happened on March 25-26. On March 25, four students were detained in the Hisarüstüstu Neighborhood, which includes Boğaziçi University campus, on the grounds that they were "carrying an LGBTI+ flag". On the same day, there was a disciplinary investigation against a student carrying an LGBTI+ flag during protests against the appointment of the rector of Boğaziçi University, and the students wanted to support their friends. N.D., who raised a rainbow flag during protests attacked by police on February 1, was targeted by a disciplinary investigation that says "you went upstairs and waved the LGBTI+ flag". N.D. was to give a statement in the scope of the investigation on March 25.
The attacks of the police continued in the North Campus, Bebek gate of the university and at the Çağlayan Courthouse on March 26th.
Twelve people detained outside the North Campus have been indicted on charges of "violating the law on meetings and demonstration marches." The first hearing of the case held on Thursday, June 3rd in Istanbul 24th Criminal Court of General Jurisdiction.
Statement before the hearing: The rainbow cannot be judged
The students gathered outside the Courthouse before the hearing and made a press release. "Rainbow will win", "Resistance will win" banners, rainbows and trans flags were carried during the statement, and the crowd often chanted "BULGBTİ+ is Our Honor".
The students read the press release despite the police blockade. "We will continue to shine with all our colors and drown the darkness that you are trying to set on us. Our existence cannot be banned, LGBTI+'s cannot be silenced and rainbows cannot be judged!" said the statement of Boğaziçi LGBTI+.
The press and observers were not allowed in the courtroom
The press and observers were not allowed in the courtroom. Only the defendant students and their lawyers were allowed into the hall. Press workers and observers tried to monitor the hearing through the door, which was left open.
Levent Pişkin, one of the students' lawyers, demanded the immediate acquittal of the defendants. The students on trial reiterated their acquittal requests and said they would make a statement at the next hearing if their request was not accepted.
Att. Pişkin reminded that their clients had been under judicial control for about 4 months and said, "Judicial control has now become a punishment", and demanded its removal.
The court partially agreed to lift the judicial control order. The student's daily signature controls were abolished and it was decided to continue the bans on going abroad.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 28, 2021.
What's in the indictment?
The Public Prosecutor's indictment against the students says disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against N.D., who raised a rainbow flag during protests of February 1st, which the police attacked. While the indictment does not include police violence, it criminalizes the rainbow flags in the hands of the students on March 25:
"After they reached the outside sidewalk of the North Campus they opened the LGBTI banners and started to march together, the law enforcement forces stopped them there, the chief law enforcement officers negotiated with them to close down the LGBTI banners..."
Tags: human rights, education
