08/04/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
The first hearing in the case against former board members and supervisory board members of the Young LGBTI+ Association was held today. The trial was adjourned to October 14.
The first hearing in the case against 11 rights defenders, who previously served on the board of directors and supervisory board of the Young LGBTI+ Association and are being tried on charges of “obscenity” over posts shared on the association’s social media accounts, was held today at the İzmir 47th Criminal Court of First Instance. The trial was adjourned to October 14.
The hearing was attended by numerous lawyers, civil society representatives, activists, and representatives of political parties. Also present in the courtroom were the Vice President of the İzmir Bar Association, board members responsible for the LGBTI+ Rights Commission, members of the Human Rights Center, and other relevant board members.
“These contents are not a crime”
Attorney Kerem Dikmen delivered the first defense. Emphasizing that they are human rights defenders, Dikmen said:
“We are human rights defenders. As people defending human rights and LGBTI+ rights in Turkey, we act in accordance with the Constitution and international conventions. I served on the supervisory board of this association. In fact, I should not be on trial as a supervisory board member. However, I stand by all press statements, actions, activities, and social media posts of the Young LGBTI+ Association. If we are to be punished for this, we will continue to do so. There can be no crime without an act. The defendants must be clearly informed about the acts and content presented as evidence.”
The hearing continued with the defense of Emirhan Şaşmaz, who stated:
“Between October 2021 and 2023, we worked to bring human rights and LGBTI+ rights into public discussion and defended the rights of young people facing discrimination. I do not believe the images shared constitute a crime. These are expressions protected under freedom of expression. Whether these contents were shared during my term or not, they do not constitute a crime.”
“Our existence is on trial here”
Following Şaşmaz, Barış Azar took the floor:
“I have been working in the field of human rights for about 13 years, particularly in LGBTI+ and youth rights. I was among the founders of the association in 2016 and have served both as a board member and a professional staff member since then. Today, I stand here with pride as part of an LGBTI+ movement that continues its struggle without committing any crime. I believe this is a symbolic trial targeting the LGBTI+ movement. What is being tried here is not actions, but our very existence.”
Attorney İrem Revşen Yıldız then spoke, saying:
“It is also necessary to explain how this process came to this point. All of this began with inspections of LGBTI+ associations that reached the level of administrative and bureaucratic harassment. The inspection in question was initiated simultaneously against LGBTI+ associations by the Ministry of Interior. The scope and intensity of the information and documents requested during the inspection were part of this broader picture. Although the inspection was supposed to cover the years 2022–2024, activities prior to 2022 were examined, exceeding the scope of authority and leading to criminalizing allegations.”
"If the images in the file had concerned heterosexuals, they would not have been considered a crime”
Attorney Mehmet Baran Selanik followed, stating:
“In this case file, we see not a legal assessment but an approach that seeks to punish those who do not conform. It appears as though the court is expected to conduct further investigation and collect evidence, which raises concerns about the impartiality of the trial. The association consists of people who have come together to defend the right of socially marginalized LGBTI+ individuals to live with dignity. If the images in the file had concerned heterosexuals, they would not have been considered a crime.”
Attorney Sena Yazıbağlı then took the floor, unfurling an LGBTI+ flag in the courtroom, and said:
“We have seen examples of this in this country before. In 2019, a closure case was filed against Siyah Pembe Üçgen; fortunately, the association was not shut down on the grounds of freedom of expression. Every year, Pride Marches are banned by decisions of governorates. Every year, these bans are annulled, but the interventions have already taken place.”
After Yazıbağlı, Attorney Mahmut Şeren stated:
“The allegation of obscenity regarding the content in this file is unfounded. Talking about sexuality, producing artistic expressions that include the body, or creating content that increases LGBTI+ visibility cannot, on their own, be considered obscenity. In assessing obscenity, it must be examined whether the content aims to arouse sexual impulses, whether it objectifies individuals, and the context, purpose, integrity, and expressive value of the work. In this case, there is not even an allegation of child abuse, exploitation, violence, or non-consensual content.”
“LGBTI+ individuals and organizations have been turned into targets of hatred”
Following Şeren, Attorney Dinçer Dikmen, a board member of the İzmir Bar Association responsible for LGBTI+ rights, said:
“For a long time, discriminatory policies have been carried out against LGBTI+ people. LGBTI+ individuals and organizations have been turned into targets of hatred. During my tenure as a board member, we identified many rights violations; however, we have not previously encountered such organized and direct violations as in recent years. Freedom of association is extremely important, even vital, for LGBTI+ people, because often solidarity is the only means they have.”
Attorney Emir Okul then spoke:
“This is not merely about the closure of an association or the prosecution of its board members. What is at stake is defending against an attack on human rights. We are here today to defend our freedoms.”
The next hearing is on October 14!
Following the defenses, the court ruled to request information and documents from various institutions to address deficiencies in the case file. The next hearing will be held on October 14, 2026.
Source: ÜniKuir
Tags: human rights, media, arts and culture, life, family, lgbti
