25/04/2023 | Writer: Selma Koçak
Former executives of İzmir Bar Association, who criticized the President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş’s hate khutbah targeting LGBTI+s and people living with HIV, were acquitted in the first hearing.
The first trial of the case filed against İzmir Bar Association and board of management, that criticized hate khutbah (sermon) targeting LGBTI+s and people living with HIV of Presidency of Religious Affairs, was heard.
Following the targeting khutbah of Religious Affairs President Ali Erbaş, İzmir Bar Association had criticized hate speech by reminding prohibition of discrimination, in 2020, during pandemic. An indictment was filed against then president and board members of the bar association. Chair lawyer Özkan Yücel and ten board members were demanded to be sentenced for “publicly insulting the religious principles”.
First trial of the case was heard today (April 24), on the anniversary of the khutbah, at the İzmir 1st Heavy Penal Court. The case was followed by Union of Turkish Bar Associations Chair Erinç Sağkan, executives from Antalya, Ankara, Muğla, İzmir, Bursa and Aydın bar associations and Lawyers for Lawyers Committee which defends lawyers at risk and prepares learned opinion for the lawyers accused, and representatives from Paris, Nice and Bologna bar associations.
Presenting his final opinion on the case, the prosecutor stated that the criminal provisions imputed to the lawyers didn’t constitute a crime and demanded a verdict of acquittal. The court board also returned an acquittal for all lawyers individually on the same grounds.
Following the hearing, İzmir Bar Association made a press conference in front of the courthouse. Özkan Yücel, chair of the İzmir Bar Association when the lawsuit was filed, said the followings:
“In fact, it was a process in which legal procedure was reversed. The lawsuit filed against those who exercise their right to freedom of expression and those who stood against hate speech, has turned into a lawsuit in which those who made efforts to have this lawsuit filed. We had made it clear before. Today, we live under fascism in Turkey, the judiciary can never act independently. After the hearing, I informed Ali Erbaş. I said ‘I have some bad news for you.’ The İzmir Bar Association is going on struggle despite hate. We continue to shout as despite hate, long live life. Any way you cut it… We will be the winner at the end. Because we are right.”
Tags: human rights
