During the March 19 protests in Izmir, four university students were arrested for chanting the slogan “Thief, murderer Erdoğan” in front of the Izmir Bar Association. It was noted that two of the students were members of the Workers’ Movement Party. Approximately nine months after the incident, proceedings were initiated against 20 people as part of the investigation; only 16 people, who were said to have chanted the slogan “Dictator Erdoğan,” were released after giving their statements. The four students, who were taken into custody from their homes on the grounds that they also chanted the slogan “Thief, murderer Erdoğan,” were arrested on charges of “insulting the president.” The students’ lawyer, Şule Arslan Hızal, stated that the slogans should be evaluated within the scope of freedom of expression and objected to the arrests.
December 16, 2025
Evrensel