Istanbul court acquits 88 youths in Saraçhane protest case

The Istanbul 65th Criminal Court of First Instance has acquitted 88 young people involved in protests held in Saraçhane following the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025.

In two consecutive hearings, the court ruled that 88 of the 90 defendants were not guilty of violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations. One individual received a sentence of 7 months and 15 days for “inciting crime” due to a social media post, though the announcement of the verdict was deferred.

During the proceedings, Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu emphasized the right to assembly, noting that a previous court decision had already ruled the Istanbul Governor's ban on protests as unlawful.