Türkiye: Misuse of criminal justice system to crack down on dissent must end following acquittal of 87 protesters, journalists and lawyers

Responding to today’s acquittal of 87 protesters on trial for their participation in mass protests which took place following the detention of Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, and yesterday’s acquittal of eight journalists and four lawyers charged in relation to the same demonstrations, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director EU, Balkans and Turkey, Dinushka Disanayake, said:

“Whilst the acquittal of these 87 peaceful protesters, eight journalists and four lawyers is welcome, it does beg the question as to why they were put through this eight-month ordeal in the first place.

“The prosecutions of these protesters, journalists and lawyers should never have been brought and the endemic misuse of the criminal justice system to crack down on dissent in Türkiye must end.”