Judge leaves the courtroom in trial of Boğaziçi University students

* Photo: Dilek Şen

Click to read the article in Turkish

The trial of 14 students of Boğaziçi University, including formerly arrested students Caner Perit Özen and Ersin Berke Gök, continued with the second hearing at the İstanbul 22nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

At the hearing of the students put on trial upon the criminal complaint of Naci İnci, who has been appointed the rector of Boğaziçi University by President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Presidential decision, the judge wanted to expel Ömer Kavili, the lawyer of the students, and to order him out of the courtroom; the police entered the room.

Following the verbal argument and the entry of the security, the judge left the courtroom. An argument ensued between the police officers trying to take lawyer Kavili out of the courtroom and the members of the parliament following the hearing. The lawyers of the students on trial indicated that they would take down minutes regarding the irregularities of the judge.

Avukatların salona girmesi engelleniyor, itirazlar sürüyor. pic.twitter.com/8leeI09r9q

— Boğaziçi Direnişi (@budirenisi) March 21, 2022

The students of Boğaziçi University have been on trial on charges of "violating the Law no. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations", "deprivation of liberty", "resisting to prevent fulfillment of duty" and "hijacking or deforcing land vehicles". As reported by daily Evrensel, tension rose between the judges of the court board and the lawyers of the students at today's hearing.

The lawyers of the students underlined that holding a special hearing for Naci İnci after the first hearing is against the due procedure.

Lawyers and police had an argument

Following the hearing, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) shared a video on its social media account. In the video, it is seen that lawyer Ömer Kavili is being taken out of the courtroom by the police.

MLSA has briefly reported:

"The court did not respond to Attorney Ömer Kavili's request that [appointed rector] Mehmet Naci İnci, who is listed as the victim, be brought to the hearing. Obstructing Attorney Kavili's defense, the judge decided to take a break after an argument broke out.

"The lawyers refuse to leave the courtroom without seeing the written decision by the court. The argument between lawyers and police continues. [CHP İstanbul Chair] Canan Kaftancıoğlu has come to the courtroom.

"The judge left the courtroom. Lawyers are writing up a report in the company of police officers. Kavili wanted to read the report they wrote up on behalf of the lawyers. The police tried to prevent the report being read ... Lawyers are leaving the courtroom after reading the report.

"A bailiff declared that the hearing has been adjourned. MPs and lawyers are waiting for the minutes of the hearing."

Av. Kavili'nin salondan çıkışı.
Duruşma 14.30'da devam edecek. pic.twitter.com/pR6ozQjxSI

— Boğaziçi Direnişi (@budirenisi) March 21, 2022

'Judge requested lawyers from the bar'

Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) İstanbul MP Ahmet Şık has also shared a message on his Twitter account, saying:

"There is more: The judge not only came to the courtroom and wanted all lawyers to be taken out of the courtroom, he also requested lawyers for the defendants. He attempted to expel our fellow students' lawyers".

What happened?

10 students were taken into custody at Boğaziçi University in İstanbul on October 5, 2021 on the grounds that they had joined the ongoing protests against Naci İnci, the appointed rector of the university.

Three students were released from detention after giving their statements at the police station. Held in detention at night, seven students were referred to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan a day later after the related formalities had been completed at the police station.

Interrogated at the prosecutor's office, four students were released on probation while three were referred to judgeship to be arrested.

The İstanbul Penal Judgeship of Peace on Duty ruled that two students should be arrested and one should be released on probation.

On January 7, 2022, considering the period they had already spent behind bars, the court ruled that students Perit Özen and Berke Gök, arrested after protesting the appointed Boğaziçi rector, should be released with an international travel ban and judicial control measures.

The indictment demanded that 14 students be sentenced to prison on charges of "unarmed attendance to unlawful meetings and demonstrations and refusal to disperse by oneself despite warnings", "deprivation of liberty of more than one person due to public duty", "resisting to prevent fulfillment of duty" and "hijacking or deforcing land vehicles."

Rector İnci had applied to the prosecutor's office against his 14 students on charges of "threat, insult, damage to property, resisting for preventing duty and violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations." (EMK/SD)