The first hearing in the trial of five people over protests against attacks on North and East Syria was held at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Detained defendants Reyhan Kumru, Ahmet Karakuzu and Ferhat Vural, and defendants İsmet Ayaz and Mustafa Aydın, who were not in detention, appeared in the case on charges including “membership in an organization,” “organization propaganda,” “possession of hazardous substances,” “endangering traffic safety” and offenses concerning meetings and demonstrations. Ahmet Karakuzu said police had forced him to identify Reyhan Kumru by threatening to bring new charges against his detained brother and raid his family’s home. He said police had shown him Kumru’s photograph before the identification. Ferhat Vural said he was outside the city on the date cited in the charge and submitted his bus tickets to the court. TJA activist and DBP executive Reyhan Kumru said her political activities had been criminalized, that she had been in Silvan during the protest on 20 January and that she had been detained for about eight months because of baseless statements. Lawyers asked that statements allegedly obtained under police pressure not be admitted as evidence, that political activities not be treated as crimes and that the detained defendants be released. The court ordered their continued detention and adjourned the hearing until 28 January 2027.
6 October 2026
Artı Gerçek