New development in the Çarşı trial: Case file sent to the prosecutor's office for final opinion

The trial of 35 defendants, including members of the Beşiktaş fan group Çarşı, in connection with the Gezi Park protests, continued at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court. Six defendants who are not in custody and their lawyers attended the hearing.

DEFENSE LAWYERS REQUEST ACQUITTAL

During the hearing, footage presented by the prosecution regarding alleged actions directed at the Prime Ministry office was viewed. Following the viewing of the footage, defense lawyer Ali Rıza Dizdar stated that his clients were not connected to the events.

Dizdar stated, "The individuals in the footage viewed are not our clients. None of the defendants present here are responsible for the events. Therefore, we request the acquittal of all defendants."

FINAL OPINION TO BE PREPARED

In its interim decision, the court ruled to send the file to the Public Prosecutor for the preparation of a final opinion and adjourned the hearing to a later date.

HISTORY OF THE ÇARŞI TRIAL

The 35 defendants, including members of the Beşiktaş fan group Çarşı who participated in the Gezi Park protests, had previously been acquitted of charges such as "attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey," "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations," and "establishing or managing a terrorist organization."

However, the 16th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation overturned the local court's decision on March 18, 2021, stating that the file should be merged with the Gezi Park trial. After the Çarşı trial was merged with the case in which Osman Kavala and Can Dündar were being tried, it was decided to separate the cases during the hearing held on February 21, 2022.

Finally, the trial process, which has been sent to the prosecutor's office for a final opinion, will continue at the next hearing.