A lawsuit was filed against students who protested against the operation against Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu at Kocaeli University. 7 people who were detained during the protest organized on March 20 were charged with “violating Law No. 2911”. Following the previous lawsuit filed against 72 people detained during the same protest, the second lawsuit filed on June 30 was postponed until February 26, 2026.
In the indictment prepared by the Kocaeli 7th Criminal Court of First Instance, the slogans “Tayyip resign”, “Break down the barricade”, “Jumping Tayyipist”, “Police, sell bagels, live in dignity” and “Erdoğan without a diploma” were considered as criminal evidence. The prosecutor’s office stated that failure to disperse despite warnings was also a crime.
“Unlawful prosecutions will not deter us,” journalism student Abbas Vural told Evrensel. Vural stated that the atmosphere of solidarity that emerged after the demonstration had fueled the resistance in Kocaeli, and that the lawsuits were revenge for this spark.
July 2, 2025
Evrensel