Türkiye: Absurd charges against board of LGBTI+ organization must be dropped
The prosecution of Amnesty International Türkiye’s former Chair Kerem Dikmen and ten other members of the executive and supervisory boards of Genç LGBTI+ (Young LGBTI+) Association, is part of an orchestrated strategy of harassment of LGBTI+ organizations and their supporters, Amnesty International said ahead of a hearing which starts tomorrow.
In December, a court ruled to dissolve the Izmir-based Genç LGBTI+ Association on the grounds of ‘obscenity’ for five illustrations posted on their social media accounts between 2019 and 2022, based on an audit report in 2024. In October 2025, a related criminal prosecution was launched against eleven people in the leadership position of the association for violating the Law on Associations. If found guilty, they could face a jail sentence of up to three years.
Despite a finding that the social media posts were not obscene, the authorities closed a vibrant LGBTI+ rights organization and are now threatening the liberty of its board
“It is shocking that this baseless case has been brought against these human rights defenders in the first place. Despite an initial finding by İzmir’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Cybercrime Bureau in August 2025 that the social media posts were not obscene, the authorities have first closed a vibrant LGBTI+ rights organization and they are now threatening the liberty of its board,” said Esther Major, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Research in Europe.
This case is part of an increasingly anti-LGBTI agenda being implemented by Turkish authorities in the ongoing crackdown on Türkiye’s LGBTI+ community
“This case is part of an increasingly anti-LGBTI agenda being implemented by Turkish authorities in the ongoing crackdown onTürkiye’s LGBTI+ community. Under their claimed pretext of ‘protecting family values’, the authorities are using the justice system to attack the people’s freedom of association and to criminalize LGBTI+ rights defenders. The absurd charges against Kerem Dikmen and the other board members must be dropped.”
Background
The illustrations posted on Facebook and Instagram, were drawings showing figures kissing, three colourful paintings depicting some level of nudity including one depicting four people together.
On 11 December 2025, the İzmir Civil Court of First Instance No. 3 ruled that five images posted on social by the organization in 2019, 2020 and 2022 were ‘obscene’ and ‘encourage and incite individuals in society to engage in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transvestite, or transsexual behaviour.’ The Court found that the organization could neither be considered ‘in line with the moral values of the society’ nor ‘Article 41 of the Constitution which stipulates that the family is the foundation of the Turkish society.’ Genç LGBTI+ Association is appealing this decision.
In parallel with these civil proceedings, the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Cybercrime Bureau is prosecuting Emirhan Şaşmaz, Kerem Dikmen and nine other members of the executive and supervisory boards of Genç LGBTI+ association for violating the Law on Associations.
Amnesty International Türkiye spokespeople will be at the hearing and available for interview. Follow @aforgutu for updates.
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