Court verdict: Besiktas fans acquitted after 11 years!

Court verdict: Besiktas fans acquitted after 11 years!

A major upheaval in Turkey: An Istanbul court has acquitted all 35 defendants accused of their links to Besiktas fan club Çarşı during the 2013 Gezi protests. The decision, reported by Cumhuriyet newspaper and other local media, marks a dramatic turnaround in a long-running legal battle in which fans were accused of creating or directing a "terrorist organization." These protests, which were initially directed against the planned development of Gezi Park, became nationwide demonstrations against the authoritarian policies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and were brutally suppressed.

Politically motivated charges

The recent decision is not only a legal recognition, but also a strong signal against political persecution in Turkey. Some defendants had already been acquitted and the proceedings were reopened. However, the judiciary continues to make a name for itself: the Istanbul court reopened the Gezi trial after criticism emerged that previous verdicts were politically motivated and arbitrary. Osman Kavala, a prominent cultural promoter and imprisoned for over three and a half years, is once again in focus. He is also accused of espionage, which he himself criticizes as unjustified, citing the repressive political situation.

The charges against Kavala and others, including Germany-based journalist Can Dündar, appear to be more of a political statement than based on verifiable evidence. This development recently caused a stir around the world, not least because of the European Court of Human Rights' demand that Kavala be released due to a lack of reliable evidence. Despite this international attention, the situation remains tense and the new procedures cast a shadow on the rule of law in Turkey, as well as on the role of the judiciary in dealing with voices critical of the government n-tv.de reported.