Four young people who painted a Banksy graffiti criticising the British courts' prosecution of the Palestine Action group on the wall of the British Consulate in Istanbul have been acquitted in the trial in which they were charged with "damage to property". The Istanbul 54th Criminal Court of First Instance delivered its verdict on 15 October 2026.
The charge
The young people were detained in the early hours of 6 January 2026 while painting Banksy's graffiti on the wall of the British Consulate General on Meşrutiyet Avenue in Beyoğlu. The reasoned judgment summarises the indictment of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office as follows:
By the indictment of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office dated 16/04/2026, indictment review no. 2026/191, investigation no. 2026/2962, indictment no. 2026/13168: that on 06.01.2026 at around 04.30, during a patrol in front of the British Consulate on Meşrutiyet Avenue in Beyoğlu, suspects with covered faces were seen writing on and painting the consulate wall and causing a disturbance in the area, whereupon police teams intervened and investigative proceedings were initiated;
That, the file being assessed as a whole, it is established by the footage analysis report that on 06.01.2026 at around 04.30 the suspects with covered faces damaged the wall of the British Consulate on Meşrutiyet Avenue in Beyoğlu by soiling it with writing and paint; that the suspects admitted their actions and made an open confession; that it is established that the suspects, acting together, damaged the exterior of the building; that in the case at hand, since the damaged place is the diplomatic mission of a foreign state, it must be regarded as a place allocated to public service; that the act therefore constitutes the aggravated form of the offence of damage to property under article 152/1.a of Turkish Penal Code no. 5237; that since the act was committed jointly by more than one person, the provisions on complicity must be applied; that the camera recordings, arrest reports and statements of the suspects are consistent with one another and the offence is proven; it being understood that there is sufficient, concrete and conclusive evidence that the suspects committed the offence with which they are charged, requiring a public prosecution to be brought,
It is alleged and requested on behalf of the public that the suspects be tried before your court and, should the offence be proven, be PUNISHED under the referral articles cited above; that the suspects be deprived of the rights and powers provided for in article 53/1 of the Turkish Penal Code; and that the items held in judicial custody under no. 2026/2664 be confiscated pursuant to article 54 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The verdict
The public prosecutor also asked for the young people to be acquitted. The court ruled that the paint applied to the wall was not serious enough to constitute the offence of damage to property and acquitted all four.
