Türkiye · Istanbul
The Istanbul protest dispersed with pepper spray
In 2000, police dispersed a small assembly and arrested 39 demonstrators.
Timeline
- April 2000: Police disperse the assembly with pepper spray and arrest 39.
- June–September 2000: The prosecutor discontinues the complaint on the ground that no offence was committed and a domestic court upholds the decision.
- 2006: The European court finds a violation of freedom of assembly.
What the records show
The European Court of Human Rights records that roughly 40 to 50 people gathered. Police cited lack of advance notice and public order concerns, and used pepper spray when the group tried to continue.
Case outcomes
The prosecutor discontinued the complaint against officers in June 2000 on the stated ground that no offence had been committed. A domestic court upheld that decision. The European Court of Human Rights subsequently found a violation of freedom of assembly. Oya Ataman v. Turkey · European Court of Human Rights