Turkish court acquits Diyarbakır Bar officials for Armenian genocide statement

A Turkish court acquitted former Diyarbakır Bar Association President Nahit Eren and ten board members of charges of "insulting the state" over a 2021 statement on the Armenian genocide anniversary. The bar faced a wave of lawsuits for its stance on the Armenian genocide since 2021.

Thursday February 27 2025 03:14 pm

Duvar English

A court in southeastern Turkey's Diyarbakır province on Feb. 27 acquitted the former administration of the Diyarbakır Bar Association for their 2021 statement on the Armenian genocide's anniversary.

The 11 defendants including former Bar Association President Nahit Eren faced charges of "publicly insulting the state and its institutions."

Diyarbakır Bar Association President Abdulkadir Güleç, board members, and representatives from the Human Rights Association (İHD), the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), the Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD), and the Rights Initiative also observed the proceedings.

The prosecutor argued that the legal elements of the alleged crime were not present and requested the acquittal of all defendants. Defense attorneys stated they had no objections to the prosecutor’s opinion and asked the court to rule accordingly.

Speaking at the hearing, Bar President Güleç said the association objected to all injustices and unlawful acts regardless of identity. He stated that the board issued its statement titled "We Share the Pain of the Great Catastrophe" on April 24 to reveal the historical truth and emphasized that it did not constitute a crime under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

Former President Eren reiterated that their statement aimed to encourage Turkey to confront its past. "One of the most critical intersections of reckoning with history is the Armenian reality," he said.

"Our statement contained no derogatory remarks against any ethnic group or institution. As the Diyarbakır Bar Association, we have always highlighted past and present social issues and advocated for democratic solutions. These statements fall within the scope of freedom of expression and align with our historical mission."

Following the defense statements, the court ruled for the acquittal of all defendants, stating that the legal elements of the crime were not met.