ISTANBUL (SCF) — Kurdish filmmaker Rojhilat Aksoy has gone on trial on charges of “publicly insulting the Turkish nation and state institutions” for screening an animated film about the Armenian genocide in Diyarbakır province, Turkish media reported.
The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office drafted the indictment, citing scenes and dialogue from the film “Aurora’s Sunrise,” which was screened on December 17, 2024. The case is being heard at the Diyarbakır 22nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
The indictment cited the animation’s depiction of the 1915 events as genocide, its portrayal of Armenian resistance as a “legitimate struggle of freedom fighters” and scenes showing Armenians being forced to change their names and religion as evidence.
It also alleged that references to Armenian men conscripted into the Ottoman army who never returned, as well as scenes showing bodies floating in a river and Ottoman soldiers separating children from their mothers, contradicted historical facts.
During the hearing Aksoy denied the accusations, saying the film falls within the scope of freedom of expression.
The court adjourned the hearing and scheduled the next session for April 6.
