PG Office Drops Charges Against Suspects Not Directly Involved in 2022 Yoga Day Violence Case

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has announced that it will not pursue charges against individuals previously accused in connection with the violence at the International Yoga Day event held at Galolhu Stadium on 21 June 2022, unless there is evidence of their direct involvement.

According to a press release issued yesterday, the PGO has decided to move forward only with the cases of individuals for whom there is clear evidence of direct involvement in the assault and in instilling fear among participants.

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The decision follows requests from several accused individuals, who had sought a review of the charges filed under Law No. 17/2010. After examining the case details, the PGO concluded that, aside from those directly linked to the attack, the remaining accused were not perpetrators of the incident. The office also considered that some of the accused had made positive contributions to the community, and that the case had been pending in court for an extended period.

The PGO further noted that the attack took place in the context of disputes surrounding the organisation of the yoga event. Given these circumstances and the absence of evidence implicating certain individuals in the violent acts, the office determined that pursuing charges against them would not be appropriate.

Legal proceedings will continue only against those whose actions can be directly tied to the assault and the disruption of the Yoga Day event.