Istanbul court orders rearrest of talent manager in Gezi Park trial
ISTANBUL
An Istanbul court ordered the rearrest of prominent talent manager Ayşe Barım on late Oct. 2, roughly a day after she was released under house arrest in a long-running case tied to the 2013 Gezi Park protests.
The decision came after prosecutors appealed a lower court ruling that freed Barım on Oct. 1 on the grounds of her deteriorating health. A high criminal court accepted the appeal and overturned the release order, ruling that Barım should remain in custody.
Barım, who has been imprisoned since January, faced allegations of attempting to overthrow the Turkish government through the demonstrations, which saw thousands of people take to the streets to oppose plans to demolish parts of Istanbul’s Gezi Park in Taksim to construct a replica of Ottoman military barracks.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
A previous release order was also similarly overturned following a prosecutor’s appeal to a higher court, resulting in her return to prison.
However, this time, though the court ordered her return to prison, Barım is currently undergoing treatment at Istanbul’s American Hospital, media reports said.
Doctors said she requires a cardiac endoscopy to evaluate her heart condition and determine her treatment plan.
Authorities have allowed her to remain in the hospital under police guard until the procedure is completed.
Barım, who founded ID Communication in 2002 and became one of the country’s most influential talent managers, was accused of encouraging the actors she represented to take part.
She has denied the charges, insisting that her health problems require urgent treatment.
At the Oct. 1 hearing, she told the court she had lost 30 kilograms while in detention and appealed to undergo surgery under the care of her own doctor.
At the same hearing, several of Türkiye’s most prominent actors, including Halit Ergenç and Bergüzar Korel, also testified in Barım’s defense.
Korel told the court that she attended the protests of her own accord. Ergenç also rejected claims that she orchestrated his involvement in the demonstrations.
