Cabinet Approves Law Granting Protection and Conditional Immunity for July Uprising Participants

The government has approved a new law providing legal protection and defining conditional immunity for those involved in the July mass uprising.

The approval was announced during a briefing held on Thursday afternoon, where it was stated that the ordinance on protection and liability determination related to the July uprising has been endorsed by the cabinet. The law is expected to come into force through an official gazette notification within the next five to seven days.

According to the briefing, the law fulfills a prior commitment made to participants of the July uprising. It grants immunity from criminal liability for actions carried out as part of organized political resistance aimed at overthrowing a fascist regime and restoring a democratic system of governance.

The ordinance clarifies that activities conducted with the objective of political resistance during the uprising will not be subject to criminal prosecution. Any existing cases filed in connection with such actions will be withdrawn, and no new cases will be accepted for acts committed during July and August in the context of political resistance.

However, the law makes it clear that immunity will not apply to crimes committed for personal gain, revenge, or narrow self-interest. Individuals involved in killings or serious crimes motivated by personal objectives will remain fully liable under criminal law. The legislation is intended solely to protect those collectively involved in actions aimed at restoring democracy, not those who exploited the situation for personal motives.

The responsibility for determining whether an incident was part of political resistance or driven by personal interest has been assigned to the National Human Rights Commission. Families of victims who believe their relatives were killed for personal reasons unrelated to the political movement may file complaints with the commission. If such claims are substantiated, the commission will conduct investigations and submit reports, which will carry the same legal weight as police investigation reports in court.

Senior government communication officials were also present at the briefing.