29/01/2026 | Writer: Oğulcan Özgenç
The compensation lawsuit filed by lawyer Hayriye Kara, who was detained during the 23rd Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride March, over her unlawful detention and ill-treatment was heard in Ankara.
The compensation lawsuit filed by lawyer Hayriye Kara, who was detained during the 23rd Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride March, against her unlawful detention and ill-treatment was heard today at the Ankara 14th High Criminal Court.
The hearing was followed by representatives from DSİP, GALADER, 17 Mayıs Association, ÜniKuir, the Ankara Bar Association Women’s Rights Center, the Ankara Bar Association LGBTI+ Rights Center, the Ankara Bar Association Center for Strategic Litigation and Legal Research, İHOP, ESHİD, AKGD, the Murat Çekiç Association, as well as the Embassies of the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom.
During the hearing, lawyer Hayriye Kara gave testimony describing the torture she was subjected to.
Stating that she had attended the march in her capacity as an on-duty lawyer, Kara said:
“While my colleague and I were walking around the streets to check whether there were any detentions, a police vehicle stopped next to us and conducted an ID check. We then went to join our friends at a börek shop on the main street. We were kept there for approximately four hours under a police blockade.”
Kara said they subsequently informed the Istanbul Bar Association’s Lawyers’ Rights Center and added:
“Despite telling them, together with the center’s representative and my colleagues, that any detention would be unlawful and that we were carrying out our professional duties, we were detained without any explanation.”
“We were forcibly handcuffed behind our backs, and our need for water and food was not met”
“We were handcuffed, searched, and our bags were searched,” Kara continued. “We were held in poor conditions in the detention vehicle, and while being taken for a medical check, we were forcibly handcuffed behind our backs. Our need for water and food was not met. I was there to meet legal needs and document rights violations, and three other people were detained along with me.”
Kara’s lawyer, Kerem Dikmen, stated that Kara’s material and moral damages must be compensated and said:
“My client was there to perform her professional duties. This was an entirely off-the-record detention. The Criminal Procedure Code was violated. The apprehension and detention were unlawful.”
The court ruled that the necessary procedures be carried out to hear witnesses and adjourned the case to 6 May 2026 at 11:30 a.m.
What happened?
Lawyer Hayriye Kara was on duty in Beşiktaş to support the crisis desk established under the Istanbul Bar Association. While carrying out observation on Gültekin Street in Beşiktaş, Kara was stopped by police despite presenting her lawyer’s ID. She was deprived of her liberty in an “off-the-record” manner without any formal procedure. This arbitrary practice was documented by other lawyers present at the scene.
Later, Kara went to a café in Ortaköy to wait for legal aid requests as part of her duties. The venue was surrounded by police, and Kara and the other lawyers with her were not allowed to leave. After the situation was reported to the Istanbul Bar Association, an official bar vehicle was dispatched to retrieve Kara. However, as she was about to get into the vehicle, she was detained by police officers who had been waiting in the area for hours.
Hayriye Kara was prevented from providing legal assistance to detainees. She was held in poor conditions with her hands cuffed behind her back, and an unjustified travel ban was imposed on her. The ban was lifted only months later.
Tags: human rights, women, life, lgbti
