Court rejects appeals from Gök and his lawyers for the lifting of the restriction, which has been in place for nearly two years

A court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır refused to lift a nearly two-year-old overseas travel ban on journalist Abdurrahman Gök during the eighth hearing of his trial on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “propaganda for a terrorist organization.”

The hearing, held on 11 September, was monitored by P24 and observers from other press freedom groups.

Gök, who spent 225 days in pretrial detention before his release in December 2023, argued that the restrictions were hindering his professional and personal life, but the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court upheld the judicial control measures and adjourned the case until 25 November 2025.

During the hearing, Gök's lawyers, Mehmet Emin Aktar and Resul Temur, emphasized the burdensome and indefinite nature of the controls. Aktar described them as “severe,” while Temur noted that Gök, whose livelihood depends on journalism, was being financially strained by the inability to travel abroad. The prosecutor recommended maintaining the measures, citing the ongoing nature of the case. Gök himself reiterated his commitment to staying in Turkey, stating that he had previously turned down a scholarship opportunity abroad despite being listed as a journalist at risk. “I was born here, I practice my profession here, and despite all the difficulties, I stayed here,” Gök told the court.

The case stems from a Diyarbakır-based investigation that led to Gök's arrest on 25 April 2023, following a raid on his home. The indictment, prepared by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, accuses him under Article 314/2 of the Turkish Criminal Code and Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law, based on his reporting for Mezopotamya Agency, social media posts, book promotions, books found in his library, insurance records linking him to the agency, and phone conversations with other journalists. These were presented as evidence of ties to outlawed groups.

Gök was released at the second hearing on 5 December, 2023, but the travel ban was imposed as a condition of his release.

Gök's defense maintains that the charges are retaliation for his legitimate journalistic work.