Diyarbakir Bar Association acquitted of Armenian Genocide statement 

2022-10-17 16:23:47


	 

	DİYARBAKIR- The former president and administrators were acquitted in the lawsuit filed regarding the statement made by the Diyarbakır Bar Association on the anniversary of the April 24 Armenian Genocide.

	 

	Due to the expression "Armenian genocide" used by the Diyarbakır Bar Association in its written statement on April 24, 2018, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, President of the Bar Cihan Aydın, Members of the Board of Directors Ahmet Dal, Erhan Aytekin, Fırat Üğer, Gazal Bayram, Serdar Çelebi, Özgür Yılmaz Biçen, Ömer Şeran, Mehmet Akbaş, Muhlis Oğurgül and Teyfik Karahan were acquitted at the hearing of the trial. The defendants and their lawyers were present at the hearing held at the Diyarbakır 11th High Criminal Court.

	 

	THE PROSECUTOR DEMANDED ACQUISITION

	 

	The members of the Board of Directors of the Bar Association, who made a defense, also pointed out that the statement fell within the limits of freedom of thought and expression. After the defenses, the Public Prosecutor demanded the acquittal of the defendants since the legal elements of the crime were not formed.

	 

	FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

	 

	Reminding that the previous administration of the Diyarbakır Bar Association was also tried on the same charge and was acquitted on the grounds that the elements of the crime were not formed, Eren wanted the court to establish an acquittal within the scope of freedom of thought and expression. Reminding that the prosecutor used the phrase "although the statements are disturbing" while requesting acquittal in his opinion, one of the lawyers, Mehmet Emin Aktar said: "Yes, it is disturbing. We will disturb you, the profession of law itself is disturbing." Announcing its decision after the defense of the lawyers, the court decided that the legal elements of the crime did not exist and decided to acquit the defendants separately.