16 March 2024

The criminal complaint filed by AFP photojournalist Bülent Kılıç regarding his detention on 26 June 2021 — when he was handcuffed from behind and pinned by the neck while covering the 19th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride March on Mis Street in Beyoğlu — resulted in a non-prosecution decision on 16 March. On 4 August 2021, Kılıç had filed a complaint against two police officers for “damage to property” and “simple injury by exceeding the limits of the authority to use force.” The prosecutor’s office concluded that the police officers had not exceeded their lawful authority under the Law on Duties and Powers of the Police No. 2559.

In contrast, based on the statements of two officers from the Narcotics Crimes Department, the prosecutor decided to put Kılıç on trial for “resisting to prevent the fulfilment of duty” and “publicly insulting a public official due to his/her duty.” The indictment did not take into account the 8 December 2022 ruling of the İstanbul 8th Administrative Court, which ordered the Ministry of Interior to pay Kılıç 30,000 TL in compensation for the police intervention. The indictment alleged that Kılıç “tried to hit the police officers with the camera he was holding” and “insulted the officers repeatedly.”