Court releases more students jailed in Istanbul protests
ISTANBUL
A Turkish court on May 15 ordered the release of three more university students who were detained in protests that erupted following the March arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Among those freed was Esila Ayık, a student suffering from chronic cardiac and renal conditions, whose deteriorating health prompted widespread appeals for her release.
Ayık, who is pursuing her university education in Belgium, participated in a rally held in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district on April 8 in solidarity with other students detained in the protests.
The court arrested Ayık a day after her detention as she was photographed holding a placard.
According to a May 14 report by daily Hürriyet, Ayık and the other two students were accused of posing with signs bearing the silhouette of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan alongside the word "dictator.”
Prosecutors sought prison sentences ranging from one year and two months to four years and eight months on charges of “publicly insulting the president.”
İmamoğlu — a prominent figure in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and widely regarded as a potential contender in the next presidential election — was taken into custody on March 23 on corruption charges, a move that ignited widespread protests throughout Istanbul.
Appearing before a judge on May 15, Ayık and her two fellow defendants Arda Öğüşlü and Mehmet Efe Erdoğan, were granted release pending trial.
In her court testimony, Ayık explained that she was a photography student in Belgium and attended the event with the intention of capturing images.
“I went to the concert to take photographs,” she stated. “In the excitement of the moment, I wanted a picture of myself as well. I found a placard lying around and held it up for a photo,” without the aim of insulting.
