The court that acquitted journalists who were detained and held for two days for covering the Saraçhane protests stated, “It has not been established that the alleged crime was committed by the defendants”

EYLEM SONBAHAR, ISTANBUL

The second hearing in the trial of 12 people including journalists Bülent Kılıç, Yasin Akgül, Zeynep Kuray, Gökhan Kam, Kurtuluş Arı, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunç, and Emre Orman, for “violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” case was held at the Istanbul 62nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 27 November 2025. The journalists had covered the protests staged against the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and were sent to pre-trial detention for two days.

The hearing, monitored by P24, took place in the courtroom of Istanbul 16th High Criminal Court. The defendants did not attend the hearing, but their lawyers were present.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested the acquittal of all defendants: "All defendants participated in the demonstrations, but there is no finding that they engaged in violent acts or made statements encouraging violence during the demonstrations beyond the purpose of participating in the demonstrations. All defendants participated in the demonstrations unarmed and without aggression, and there is no finding that they insisted on not dispersing. We therefore request that all defendants be acquitted individually."

Journalist Hayri Tunç's lawyer, Şule Recepoğlu, stated that her client was present at the scene to cover the news and requested acquittal. The other defendants' lawyers also stated that they agreed with the prosecutor's opinion and requested the acquittal of their clients.

The court decided to acquit all defendants separately because “it was not established that the defendants committed the alleged crime.”

Background of the case

AFP photojournalist Yasin Akgül, NOW Haber reporter Ali Onur Tosun, photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, journalist Zeynep Kuray, journalist Hayri Tunç, İBB photojournalist Kurtuluş Arı, and Bakırköy Municipality photojournalist Gökhan Kam, who were covering the ongoing protests across the country after İmamoğlu's arrest, were detained in Istanbul on the morning of 24 March during a police raid on their homes. Journalist Emre Orman, who had an arrest warrant issued against him, could not be detained because he was not at his residence.

Despite the Istanbul Governorate's ban, the journalists, accused of participating in the protests, were brought to court on 25 March after a day in custody. The prosecutor's office referred the seven journalists to the magistrate's court with a request for their release under judicial control without taking their statements. After this information was communicated to their families by law enforcement and security personnel, the prosecutor's office changed its opinion. The seven journalists were referred to the court with a request for their imprisonment on the charge of “violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.”

Although the journalists proved with documents that they were in the area for news purposes, they were arrested on the same day by court order and sent to prison.

As a result of their lawyers' appeal against their detention on 26 March, the journalists were released on 27 March.

Journalist Emre Orman, who was not detained because he was not at his address, went to the Istanbul Police Headquarters with his lawyer on the morning of 27 March and gave a statement. Orman was released after the proceedings.

In the indictment filed by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested that the journalists be punished for the crime of “violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.”

The first hearing in the case of 99 defendants, including journalists and lawyers, was held on 18 April 2025. The court decided to separate the files of eight journalists and four lawyers and register them under a new case.