20/01/2026 | Writer: Oğulcan Özgenç
The second hearing of the trial, which was filed three years after the march, was held today. The court postponed the hearing in order to hear the defenses of the defendants who have not yet been heard.
Photo: From the first hearing of the trial
The second hearing of the case filed three years after the 2022 METU Pride March was held today at the Ankara 30th Criminal Court of First Instance.
The hearing was monitored by the ÜniKuir, Kaos GL, and 17 May associations, as well as the Ankara Bar Association LGBTI+ Rights Center.
Plainclothes police officers were stationed in front of the courtroom.
During the hearing, one of the defendants who had been detained at the Pride March, E.T., delivered their defense. Stating that the police carried out detentions on the day of the incident without issuing a dispersal warning, E.T. said the following:
“I did not participate in the very beginning of the march. I was detained in front of the METU Library. Suddenly, a large group of police arrived. Most people ran toward the library, and detentions took place there. I did not hear any dispersal warning. I do not accept the charges.”
The court postponed the hearing to April 21, 2026, at 09:00, in order to hear the defenses of the defendants who have not yet been heard.
What happened at the first hearing?
At the first hearing of the case, 24 defendants who were charged for participating in the 2022 METU Pride March presented their defenses before the Ankara 30th Criminal Court of First Instance. During the hearing, the defendants stated that the police intervened during the Pride March without issuing any dispersal warning and that disproportionate force and torture were used on campus.
Stating that they were beaten during detention, subjected to reverse handcuffing, and exposed to ill-treatment for a long period, the defendants said they did not accept the charges. The lawyers emphasized that the march was peaceful and stated that the police intervention was unlawful and that the allegations of torture should be investigated.
Tags: human rights, media, life, lgbti
