Feminist Night March participants acquitted of all charges

In a crucial decision that underlines the sanctity of civil liberties, the Istanbul 10th Criminal Court of First Instance has acquitted all 17 defendants on trial for their participation in the 19th Feminist Night March in Taksim on March 8.

The defendants and their lawyers were present at the eighth hearing, where the charges of "insulting the president" and "violating the Assembly and Demonstration Law No. 2911" were thoroughly examined and finally rejected.

The hearing began with the identification of the defendants, followed by a meticulous review of the prosecutor's final opinion - presented during the sixth hearing - which called for the acquittal of all defendants for "lack of concrete evidence. The defendants and their lawyers were then allowed to make their statements, in which they vehemently insisted that chanting slogans could not be considered a "crime".

The participants, who have been holding the Feminist Night March for nearly two decades, claimed that their prosecution for participating in the event was unjustified and unlawful. After careful consideration, the court ruled in their favor, exonerating all 17 individuals because "the legal element of the crime did not occur.