A long-running legal saga involving eleven human rights defenders accused of espionage and terrorism-related offences came to a definitive end this week when Turkey’s Supreme Court of Cassation upheld the acquittal of the last defendant. The case, widely referred to as the ‘Büyükada trial’, spanned eight years and attracted significant international attention due to concerns over the independence of the judiciary and the crackdown on civil society.
The investigation began on 5 July 2017, when police raided a human rights workshop held at a hotel on Büyükada, one of Istanbul’s Princes’ Islands. Ten activists – including Turkish, Swedish and German nationals – were detained without immediate access to family members or lawyers, leading to accusations of procedural violations. Although initially portrayed in pro-government media as spies, the charges were later changed to ‘membership of a terrorist organisation’ or ‘supporting a terrorist organisation without being a member’.
Among those arrested were İdil Eser, then Director of Amnesty International Turkey, and foreign trainers Ali Garawi and Peter Steudtner. Eight of the detainees were eventually remanded in custody, two who were initially released under judicial supervision but later re-arrested. Shortly afterwards, Taner Kılıç, the Chairperson of Amnesty International Turkey’s Executive Committee, who was already in custody in relation to a separate case, was added to the indictment.
On 3 July 2020, the İstanbul 35th High Criminal Court handed down sentences ranging from just over two years to six years and three months for ‘aiding a terrorist organisation’ and ‘membership of a terrorist organisation’. However, the case was appealed and on 17 October 2022 the Supreme Court of Cassation overturned the convictions. In a subsequent retrial on 6 June 2023, the local court acquitted all the defendants. The prosecution appealed the acquittal of Taner Kılıç, but the Supreme Court of Cassation recently rejected this appeal, bringing the matter to a close.
Legal experts and human rights groups have welcomed the verdict, but stressed the toll it has taken on the defendants, some of whom have spent months in pre-trial detention. The Büyükada trial became emblematic of the increasing pressure on civil society organisations in Turkey, prompting widespread outcry from international institutions and human rights defenders alike.
With the Supreme Court’s final decision, all charges have now been definitively dropped, marking the end of a high-profile case that critics have described as emblematic of the shrinking space for human rights and civil liberties in Turkey.
