30/01/2024 | Writer: Selma Koçak
The first trial of the lawsuit brought against 3rd Eskişehir Pride March is going to be heard on February 14.
Eskişehir Pride Week Committee made a solidarity call for the first hearing of the case brought against 3rd Eskişehir Pride March. The first trial of the case is going to be heard at the Eskişehir Courthouse on Wednesday, February 14, at 09.45 a.m. The solidarity call shared on social media included the following statements:
“The right defenders, who gathered for 3rd Eskişehir Pride March against bans, violence and hate crimes targeting LGBTI+s, had been forcibly detained in July, in 2023. A lawsuit was brought like a bolt from the blue with a copy-paste indictment against the detained 18 right defenders. The government is trying to create a crime, although there is no crime, by criminalizing the fundamental rights and demands of human rights defenders and LGBTI+ people. They tried to legitimise the unjust imprisonment of the security forces in the eyes of the public with news prepared by the local media, which became a tool of the government and created sensation. We have been acquitted in every case brought against us so far and we will do it again. As the Eskişehir Pride Week Committee, we urge the human rights defenders for solidarity at our first hearing, which will be held on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 9.45am at the Eskişehir Courthouse.”
What happened?
The police had forcibly prevented to exercise the constitutional right of LGBTI+ activists, who gathered in front of Hasan Polatkan Cultural Center for Pride March at 14.00 pm, on July 9, in Eskişehir and the police had detained 18 people participated in the Eskişehir LGBTI+ Pride March. The press statement, which was blockaded by the police, included the following remarks:
“Just to spite those who desire to segregate us into ghettos, we say that the whole city is ours. We are raising our struggle for existence from campuses to streets! We know that the ruling AKP is the inheritor of the fascist junta in the 90s. Our anger and rebellion are also surging in against those who disregard transgender people trying to be exiled from their homes in Bayram Street and Bornova Street with the cooperation of the state and the gangs. The government overtly violates the Constitution via every hate speech and disregards the principal of equal citizenship. You are speaking with authority encouraged by your power right now, however you will definitely be judged as soon as you overthrow. We feel duty to warn you, as we continue to weave the path for peace. What you should do, in the line of your duty, is acting in accordance with the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, instead of oppressing, banning and using violence.”
This is not the first lawsuit brought against the Eskişehir Pride March!
A lawsuit was filed against 16 people who were detained and attacked by the police during the 1st Eskişehir Pride March, which was illegally banned by the Governorship’s decision without public announcement. The court acquitted all the defendants in the second hearing of the case on 26 April 2022.
On July 3, 2022, the Pride march planned to take place in Eskişehir was also banned by the Governorship. The ban decision of the Governorship on the march was appealed to the Administrative Court and rejected. Despite the ban, the police attacked the march on July 3, and 10 people were detained. The defendants were acquitted in the third hearing of the case at the Eskişehir 4th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Tags: human rights
