Istanbul Court Acquits Journalists, Lawyers in March 19 Protest Cases
A Turkish court has acquitted a group of journalists and lawyers accused of involvement in protests following the March 19, 2025, operation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM). The decision underscores the constitutional right to assembly and demonstration, even in the face of widespread public unrest.
The prosecutor’s office, in a significant move, recommended the acquittal of all defendants, arguing that while their participation in the demonstrations was acknowledged, “there was no violent element in the demonstrations other than the defendants’ act of participating in the demonstrations.” This opinion heavily influenced the court’s ruling.
Background: The March 19th Operation and Subsequent Protests
The case stems from an operation carried out on March 19, 2025, against the IMM, resulting in the detention and arrest of IMM President and CHP Presidential Candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, CHP district mayors, and numerous municipal bureaucrats on March 22. The detentions sparked a wave of protests across Turkey, with Saraçhane Square in Istanbul – the location of the IMM building – becoming the epicenter of demonstrations that drew millions of citizens over a week.
Following these widespread protests, authorities initiated legal proceedings against a broad range of individuals, including university students, journalists, and lawyers.
Prosecutor Cites Constitutional Rights
The prosecutor’s opinion, released prior to the court’s decision, meticulously outlined the legal basis for acquittal. It emphasized the need to evaluate the “meeting and demonstration march…separately,” asserting that the elements of the crimes charged were not met. The opinion specifically referenced Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and Article 34 of the Turkish Constitution, which protect the right to assembly and demonstration.
According to the prosecutor, “participating in demonstrations alone would not constitute a crime.” The opinion also addressed the relevance of Article 7 of Law No. 2911, noting that a key component of this article had been “partially annulled in the decision of the Constitutional Court application number 2018/39.” This annulment, the prosecutor argued, further strengthened the case for upholding the defendants’ constitutional rights.
“The right to assembly and demonstration recognized by the ECHR and the Constitution is a constitutional right,” the prosecutor stated, “and there are collective acts of opposition by individuals within the scope of the exercise of this right.” Therefore, the elements of the crimes alleged against the defendants were not established, leading to a recommendation for acquittal under Article 223/2-e of the Criminal Procedure Code (CMK).
Court Upholds Prosecutor’s Recommendation
The court ultimately sided with the prosecutor’s office, ruling that the charges could not be proven. The court acquitted each defendant individually, stating that “it is not proven that the charged act was committed by the defendants.”
Those acquitted include: Ali Onur Tosun, Aziz Can Cengiz, Baran Nevcanoğlu, Bülent Kılıç, Deniz Demirdöğen, Emre Orman, Gökhan Kam, Hayri Tunç, Kurtuluş Arı, Mine Erdoşt, Yasin Akgül, and Zeynep Kuray.
This decision represents a significant affirmation of the right to peaceful protest in Turkey, and a rebuke of attempts to criminalize participation in legitimate demonstrations. The case highlights the importance of upholding constitutional protections, even during periods of political tension and social unrest.
