Indictment prepared for İmamoğlu protests

The prosecutor's office has prepared an indictment against individuals who participated in the protests that began with the detention of İmamoğlu as part of a financial crimes investigation and continued following his arrest.

INDICTMENT AGAINST 74 SUSPECTS

According to a report by Ceylan Sever from Habertürk, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's indictment seeks prison sentences ranging from 6 months to 3 years for 74 suspects, whose average age ranges between 20 and 40, for the crime of "participating unarmed in unlawful meetings and marches and failing to disperse despite warnings." The indictment also requests the application of the article on "deprivation of certain rights," which includes the loss of the right to vote and be elected, commonly known in the public as a political ban, for each suspect.

The indictment recalled that the Istanbul Governor's Office had banned meetings, demonstrations, and marches for 4 days on March 19. It was also noted that this decision was later extended for another 4 days. It was stated that 100 people who participated in demonstrations and marches in violation of this decision were identified by the Istanbul Counter-Terrorism Branch.

The indictment stated that approximately 70 people, including Now reporter Ali Onur Tosun, AFP photojournalist Yasin Akgül, photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, journalist Zeynep Kuray, journalist Hayri Tunç, Bakırköy Municipality photojournalist Gökhan Kam, and IMM photojournalist Kurtuluş Arı, were arrested, while others were placed under judicial control. The files of 25 people were separated.

The 7 journalists mentioned in the indictment as having been arrested were released 2 days after their arrest by a decision of release issued ex officio by the prosecutor's office.