Türkiye Pride March: Acquittals & Release of Detained Participants
Türkiye Cracks Down on LGBTQI+ Rights: 53 Face Trial Over Pride March
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Istanbul, Türkiye – Tomorrow, 53 individuals, including activists detained for over a month, will face trial in Türkiye over their participation in JuneS Istanbul LGBTI Pride march. The prosecutions represent a worrying escalation in the criminalization of LGBTQI+ expression and peaceful assembly, according too Amnesty International.
Growing Restrictions on LGBTQI+ Rights
Among those facing charges are six lawyers, three journalists, and prominent activists hivda Selen and Sinem Çelebi, who have been held in pre-trial detention as June 30th on what Amnesty International describes as “baseless charges.” Activist Doğan Nur was also detained for a month before being released last week.
“Thes prosecutions mark an alarming escalation in the criminalization of LGBTI expression and peaceful assembly in Türkiye,” says Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe. “The arrests and prosecutions related to this year’s Pride march is testament to the deepening crackdown on LGBTI people in Türkiye.”
pride Marches Increasingly Targeted
Istanbul Pride has been unlawfully banned by Turkish authorities as 2015, a clear violation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. Despite the bans, the community has consistently sought to gather and express themselves, leading to increased police intervention and now, widespread legal action.
This year’s crackdown signals a worrying trend. Authorities are increasingly restricting spaces for LGBTQI+ individuals and their allies, suppressing Pride events under the guise of security or public order concerns. However, Amnesty International argues this is driven by a growing anti-LGBTI agenda.
Charges and Concerns
All detainees are accused of violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations. This law regulates public gatherings and requires prior permission from authorities, which is often denied for LGBTQI+ events.”No one should be detained and prosecuted simply for exercising their right to peaceful assembly,” Dissanayake emphasizes. “The jailed activists must be immediately released, and all charges against the 53 must be dropped.”
The case raises serious concerns about the future of LGBTQI+ rights in Türkiye and the shrinking space for civil society. It highlights the urgent need for the Turkish government to uphold its human rights obligations and protect the rights of all its citizens, nonetheless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Take action: You can find more data and Amnesty International’s urgent action on this case here.