LGBTI+’s, feminists, socialists and rights defenders made a press statement at the Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch regarding the gross violations of rights during the 23rd Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride March.
In the statement, it was stated that on Sunday, June 29, many points in Istanbul were blockaded by the police and detainees were subjected to misogyny and transphobia. It was stated that trans women were handcuffed behind their backs, put in the same cells with men and sexually harassed, and body searches were conducted by male police officers, which constitutes sexual violence.
It was also stated that lawyers and journalists were prevented during detention processes and electronic devices were confiscated without authorization. According to the statement, three people were arrested for Pride for the first time on charges that do not require arrest under Law No. 2911. It was stated that the arrested activists were kept in a cell without ventilation because they refused strip searches.
The statement signed by 63 organizations and associations emphasized that the struggle against the state’s efforts to intimidate the opposition will continue. “We will not lose a single person in the face of your systematic, organized, patriarchal violence. We will not leave each other behind. We will fight together for an equal and free life.”
July 2, 2025
Bianet