Turkish Appeals Court Overturns Acquittal in Gezi Trial

Riot police officers run after demonstrators on Istiklal Street in central Istanbul July 13, 2013, to disperse hundreds of protesters who gathered to march to Gezi Park. (Reuters)
Riot police officers run after demonstrators on Istiklal Street in central Istanbul July 13, 2013, to disperse hundreds of protesters who gathered to march to Gezi Park. (Reuters)
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Turkish Appeals Court Overturns Acquittal in Gezi Trial

Riot police officers run after demonstrators on Istiklal Street in central Istanbul July 13, 2013, to disperse hundreds of protesters who gathered to march to Gezi Park. (Reuters)
Riot police officers run after demonstrators on Istiklal Street in central Istanbul July 13, 2013, to disperse hundreds of protesters who gathered to march to Gezi Park. (Reuters)

A Turkish appeals court on Friday overturned the acquittal of nine people, including philanthropist Osman Kavala, in a case related to nationwide protests in 2013, according to court documents seen by Reuters.

The case had ended with the surprise acquittal of nine defendants last February due to insufficient evidence. The trial was followed closely by Turkey’s Western allies and rights groups, who said it was symbolic of what they saw as a crackdown on dissent under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The total of 16 defendants in the case were accused of organizing and spreading the 2013 Gezi protests. The cases of seven defendants who did not attend the hearings were separated and their trial continues.

Court documents showed the appeals court had ruled on Friday to overturn the acquittal and sent the case back to the lower court.

Among the reasons for overturning the acquittal, the court said some evidence had not been included in the reasoning for the verdict, and that a second case against Kavala should also be considered while ruling in the Gezi case.

The demonstrations in 2013 saw hundreds of thousands march in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey against plans approved by then-premier Erdogan to build a replica Ottoman barracks in the city’s Gezi Park.

Critics say Turkey’s judiciary has been exploited to punish Erdogan’s perceived opponents. The president and his AK Party say the courts make independent decisions.

Among those acquitted last year was philanthropist businessman Kavala, who was accused of financing the protests. He has remained in jail over charges related to a failed coup attempt in 2016 despite the European Court of Human Rights calling for his release.

After the acquittal, Erdogan said the protests were a “heinous attack” aimed at the state. He said the court had “set out to acquit (Kavala) with a maneuver”, adding that the second arrest order must be respected.

All defendants in the Gezi trial deny the charges. Kavala also denies the charges related to the coup attempt.



Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
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Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)

The Israeli government has ordered all public entities to stop advertising in the Haaretz newspaper, which is known for its critical coverage of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Sunday that the government had approved his proposal after Haaretz’ publisher called for sanctions against Israel and referred to Palestinian militants as “freedom fighters.”
“We advocate for a free press and freedom of expression, but also the freedom of the government to decide not to fund incitement against the State of Israel,” Karhi wrote on the social platform X.
Noa Landau, the deputy editor of Haaretz, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “working to silence independent and critical media,” comparing him to autocratic leaders in other countries.
Haaretz regularly publishes investigative journalism and opinion columns critical of Israel’s ongoing half-century occupation of lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
It has also been critical of Israel’s war conduct in Gaza at a time when most local media support the war and largely ignore the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
In a speech in London last month, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken said Israel has imposed “a cruel apartheid regime” on the Palestinians and was battling “Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls ‘terrorists.’”
He later issued a statement, saying he had reconsidered his remarks.
“For the record, Hamas are not freedom fighters,” he posted on X. “I should have said: using terrorism is illegitimate. I was wrong not to say that.”