Court accepts Gezi indictment charging suspects with leading criminal organization

ISTANBUL

Taksim Solidarity Platform's spokeswoman, Mücella Yapıcı, is among the suspects accused of being leaders of a criminal organization.

Istanbul’s 33rd Criminal Court of First Instance has accepted an indictment over last summer’s Gezi protests, in which 26 suspects were charged with leading or being a member of a criminal organization, as well as violations on the law on rallies.Ali Çerkezoğlu, Mücella Yapıcı, Beyza Metin, Ender İmrek and Haluk Ağabeyoğlu, all prominent members of the Taksim Solidarity Platform, which led last year’s calls to prevent the destruction of Taksim Gezi Park and its replacement with a mall, were accused of being the leaders of a criminal organization.Prosecutor Mesut Erdinç Bayhan had demanded the five each be sentenced to between 7.5 and 29 years in prison. Charges for 31 others, including Chamber of Architects chair Eyüp Muhçu and Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK) General Secretary Arzu Çerkezoğlu, were dismissed.The first hearing is scheduled for June 12.