Constitutional Court justifies the state violence in Gezi trial

Turkey’s Constitutional Court rejected the application which claimed that the penalties for those who participated in the Gezi Park protests “violated the right to organize meetings and demonstrations”.

The Constitutional Court of Turkey (AYM) on Thursday adjudicated on an application which stated that the penalties issued for those who participated in the Gezi Park protests violated their right to organize meetings and demonstrations.

The decision has been published in the Official Gazette. The Constitutional Court rejected the claims of the applicants and justified the state violence and violations against the applicants.

The court's decision is as follows:

“1. It has been decided that the allegation that the right to organize meetings and demonstrations was violated since the applicants were punished for committing a crime on behalf of a terrorist organization without being its member is unacceptable due to failure to exhaust the remedies.

2. The allegation that the right to organize meetings and demonstrations was violated with penalties given for the crimes of participating in a demonstration with a gun, insisting on not to disperse despite a warning in an illegal meeting, and resisting the authorities, is unacceptable because it is clearly baseless.

It has unanimously been decided that the applicants assume the litigation expenses.”