11.02.2026 11:05
Ayşe Barım, who is on trial for allegedly encouraging artists to participate in the Gezi Park protests, is facing up to 30 years in prison for the charge of "attempting to overthrow the Government of the Republic of Turkey or preventing it from performing its duties." A decision is expected today in her case. The Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court rejected the appeal and decided to re-arrest Barım.
It is expected that a decision will be made today in the case where manager Ayşe Barım is being tried for the crime of 'attempting to overthrow or prevent the government of the Republic of Turkey from performing its duties' with a request for up to 30 years in prison, on the grounds that she directed artists to participate in the protests during the Gezi Park events and was one of the planners of the events. Barım arrived at the Istanbul Courthouse for the hearing.
Previously, an interim decision had been announced regarding manager Ayşe Barım, who is being held in custody and tried for the crime of 'aiding the attempt to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey' with a request for imprisonment ranging from 22 years and 6 months to 30 years, on the grounds that she was one of the planners of the Gezi Park events in Taksim. The court decided to release Barım under judicial control, and she was released from prison on October 1.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office appealed the release decision on October 3. After the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court rejected the appeal, the case was sent to the higher court, the Istanbul 27th High Criminal Court. The 27th High Criminal Court, which examined the case, accepted the appeal and decided to re-arrest Barım. Following the decision, Ayşe Barım was taken to the hospital, and a report was prepared by the Forensic Medicine Institution to be submitted to the court on October 22. The report stated that her treatment should be continued under hospital conditions and that it was not appropriate for her to remain in prison conditions. The Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court rejected the Prosecutor's appeal. Meanwhile, the prosecution submitted its opinion on the merits to the court during the session. In the opinion, it was requested that Barım be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of 'attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey.'
FROM THE OPINION
In its opinion on the merits, the prosecution requested that Ayşe Barım be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of 'attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey by using force and violence or partially or completely preventing its duties.' The opinion stated that there were two tape recordings between Barım and Mehmet Ali Alabora, one of the fugitive defendants of the Gezi case, regarding whether or not a statement would be published within the scope of the Gezi protests. It was reported that in the tape contents, it was claimed that Barım expressed her will against the publication of the statement. It was stated that Barım was identified as a person who showed will, was consulted, and whose approval was obtained. Additionally, it was claimed that Barım contributed to the spread of the process by supporting it, made calls for protests through artists affiliated with her company, and created a ground for the escalation of violent incidents by effectively directing the actors she was associated with to the field.