Journalist Adil Demirci acquitted; bianet Kurdish section editor Aren Yıldırım detained; journalist Uğur Yılmaz released after nearly 6 years in jail; former Özgür Gündem editor Reyhan Çapan fined

 

Journalist Adil Demirci acquitted after five years 

The 14th hearing in the trial of Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter Adil Demirci, who is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 14 March 2023.

Demirci’s lawyers attended the hearing, which P24 monitored.

The prosecutor in their final opinion on the case noted that no convincing evidence could be found, that the defendant’s actions should be seen within the scope of freedom of expresion and thus, requested the court to acquit Demirci.

The court ruled in line with the request and acquitted the journalist.

Demirci, a dual national of both Turkey and Germany, was first arrested in April 2018 and jailed pending trial for 10 months before he was released at the end of the second hearing in the trial held in February 2019. He was charged in connection with attending funerals and ceremonies for people who were killed while fighting alongside Syrian Kurdish groups against ISIS in Syria's Kobani. 

Journalists Fırat Fıstık, Ozan Buz acquitted

The second hearing in the trial of Gerçek Gündem news website reporter Fırat Fıstık and Responsible Managing Editor Ozan Buz, who are charged with “illegally disseminating or obtaining personal data” upon a complaint by Boğaziçi University Rector Naci İnci over a report published in October 2021, was held at the İstanbul 46th Criminal Court of First Instance on 15 March 2023.

Fıstık and Buz’s lawyer attended the hearing, which P24 monitored. Plaintiff Naci İnci’s lawyer submitted a letter of excuse and was not present at the hearing.

Fıstık and Boz’s lawyer stated that the report in question did not contain any personal data, and demanded acquittal of İnci.

The court adjourned the trial until 17 March. Fıstık and lawyers of both sides attended the hearing, which P24 monitored.

Fıstık’s lawyer Baran Kaya said, “There was no personal data included in the report, and there is no evidence to prove otherwise. We demand acquittal.” Plaintiff Naci İnci’s lawyer requested conviction for both journalists.

The prosecutor in their final opinion on the case noted that the personal data had been blackened to render them unrecognizable, thus, the elements of the impugned crime did not exist. The prosecutor requested the court to acquit the defendants.

The court ruled in line with the request and acquitted Fıstık and Buz.

Journalist Uğur Yılmaz released after nearly 6 years in prison

Journalist Uğur Yılmaz, who was imprisoned on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” by the Bitlis 2nd High Criminal Court, was released on parole on 14 March, 2023.

Having served 5 years 7 months and 27 days in prison, Yılmaz went to his hometown, Bitlis, with his family.

Bianet Kurdish editor Aren Yıldırım arrested

Bianet news website Kurdish section editor Aren Yıldırım was arrested in a police raid on his house on 15 March 2023.

His lawyer said that all questions asked to Yıldırım were related to his journalistic activities.

Yıldırım was released by the prosecutor’s office after giving his statement there. 

ETHA reporter Elif Bayburt arrested in coordinated police raids  

11 people including Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter Elif Bayburt, who was arrested during police raids on their houses as part of an İstanbul-based operation on 12 March 2023, were referred to court on 15 March 2023.

Nine of them were imprisoned pending trial for “membership in a terrorist organization” whereas Bayburt and the other person were released under judicial control measures.

Two journalists detained for “fake” press card

JinNews reporter Gülistan Dursun and an unidentified journalist were arrested by the police as they were following a protest in front of the Şanlıurfa Courthouse by Şenyaşar family, who lost two of its members to an attack at a hospital by people linked to an AKP deputy in 2018. 

The journalists were accused of carrying "fake press cards." They were released later in the same day.

Case against journalist Zekine Türkeri, others dismissed

The fourth hearing in the trial of 19 people including journalist Zekine Türkeri, who are charged with “violating the Law no. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” was held at the İstanbul 49th Criminal Court of First Instance

In their final opinion on the case, the prosecutor cited İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Anti-Terror and Organized Crime Bureau’s decision not to proceed with the investigation and requested the court to dismiss the case. The defense lawyers, on the other hand, demanded immediate acquittal rather than dismissal.

Announcing its decision at the end of the hearing, the court ruled for the dismissal of the case.

Journalist Ferhat Çelik briefly arrested

Mezopotamya News Agency Publisher Ferhat Çelik was arrested on 14 March at the Feriköy Police Station in İstanbul, where he had gone to give a statement, due to an arrest warrant issued as part of another investigation.

Çelik was sent to the İstanbul Courthouse to have his statement taken and then released on the same day.

In his Twitter account, Çelik wrote that he was charged with “marking those involved in the fight against terrorism as targets” over his social media posts.

Yeni Yaşam employee Hamdullah Bayrak arrested

Yeni Yaşam daily employee Hamdullah Bayrak, who was wanted as part of an investigation against 11 people from the Mezopotamya News Agency and JinNews, was arrested in Mersin on 16 March 2023.

Bayram will reportedly be taken to Ankara from Mersin Provincial Security Directorate.

Nine of the 11 journalists who were arrested in October in Ankara as part of the same investigation were jailed pending trial. 

Columnist Önder Algedik gives statement under “disinformation” law

An investigation has been launched against Duvar news website columnist Önder Algedik over his social media posts upon a complaint by Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş. Algedik gave his defense statement at a police station on 15 March 2023.

Algedik said he was summoned to give his statement over his retweets of reports and posts about road construction in Ankara's Hacettepe forest.

Compensation case brought by Deputy Minister of Health against Evrensel daily dismissed

An İstanbul court has dismissed a compensation case filed by Deputy Minister of Health Sabahattin Aydın against the Evrensel newspaper over reports on allegations that Aydın’s wife won a tender from the Ministery of Health.

The final hearing was held at the Bakırköy 11th Civil Court of First Instance on 15 March 2023.

Journalist’s lawyer Devrim Avcı requested the court to dismiss the case as the story fell under the scope of freedom of expression and the press.

The court decided not to proceed with the case.

Recusation request rejected in trial of journalists İzel Sezer, Doğan Ergün

The fifth hearing in the trial of former İleri Haber Editor-in-Chief Doğan Ergün and current Editor-in-Chief İzel Sezer on charges of “insult,” “illegally exposing data obtained from recording private speech among individuals and through the press and the media” and “defamation” over their reporting on allegations of “bribery” concerning President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal was held at the İstanbul 33rd Criminal Court of First Instance on 14 March 2023.

Ergün, Sezer as well as their lawyer Özgür Urfa attended the hearing, which P24 monitored.

The prosecutor reiterated their final opinion on the case they submitted in the previous hearing and demanded conviction for both journalists of the impugned crimes.

Speaking as to the accusations, Sezer said, “We made the report as per journalism principles. We did not insult nor defame anybody. I hope the court issues a legal and not a political verdict.” Speaking after Sezer, Ergün stated, “I wrote the report. My co-defendant fellow has nothing to do with that news item. I do not understand why we have been tried together. We hope the court makes a lawful decision.”

The journalists’ lawyer Özgür Urfa said the defense's requests for further examination of evidence are yet to be taken up by the court. "For this reason, we do not believe that the court will make an objective and impartial decision. We demand recusation," he said. 

The court rejected the request of recusation on the grounds that the request aimed to prolong the case, and adjourned the trial until 20 June 2023.

Court imposes judicial fine on journalist Reyhan Çapan

An İstanbul court in a retrial has ordered now-defunct Özgür Gündem daily Responsible Managing Editor Reyhan Çapan to pay TL 41,666 for “not publishing an appropriate correction and response” at the end of the third hearing in the case. 

The hearing was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 14 March 2023. Çapan's lawyer Özcan Kılıç attended the hearing.

The prosecutor reiterated their final opinion on the case they submitted in the previous hearing and demanded conviction for Çapan of the impugned crime.

In his defense against the prosecutor’s final opinion, lawyer Kılıç requested the court to take into consideration the 19th Criminal Chamber of Supreme Court of Appeals’ judgment and demanded his client’s acquittal.

The court ordered Çapan to pay judicial fine of TL 41,666 and also ruled for the correction to be published on two newspapers with at least 100 thousand circulations.

Demokratik Modernite trial adjourned until September

The second hearing in the trial of Demokratik Modernite magazine Responsible Managing Editor Ramazan Yurttapan, editor Haydar Ergül and columnists Cihan Doğan, Musa Şanak and Nazan Üstündar on charges of “publicly denigrating the Turkish nation, the state of the Turkish Republic, the organs and institutions of the state” under Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 16 March 2023.

Yurttapan and Ergül’s lawyer attended the hearing, which P24 monitored. The court decided to await the execution of the order for Üstündağ and Doğan’s arrest and adjourned the trial until 21 September 2023.

The charges stem from the jounalists’ remarks in the eight articles published on the 37th edition of the magazine.

Trial of İHD Co-Chair Öztürk Türkdoğan adjourned until June

The third hearing in the trial of Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair Öztürk Türkdoğan, who is charged with “denigrating the state of the Republic of Turkey” was held at the Ankara 24th Criminal Court of First Instance on 16 March 2023.

The trial was adjourned until 8 June 2023 due to the judge being on leave.

The Özgür Gündem trial with defendants Aykol, Kaya, Kızılkaya and Dicle adjourned until September

The 24th hearing in the trial of former editors-in-chief Hüseyin Aykol and Zana Kaya and managing editor İnan Kızılkaya of the Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was shut down in 2016 by statutory decree, and of Kurdish politician Hatip Dicle on charges of “openly denigrating the Turkish nation, the state of the Republic of Turkey, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the government of the Republic of Turkey and the judicial organs of the state” and “openly denigrating the military or security organization of the state” over news published in the newspaper in 2016 was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 14 March 2023.

The court ruled to await the execution of the order for the detention of Hatip Dicle and adjourned the trial until 14 September 2023.

At least 68 journalists and media workers in prison

With the release of Uğur Yılmaz on 14 March, there are at least 68 journalists and media employees who are in prison either pending trial or serving sentence in Turkey as of 19 March 2023.

The full list can be accessed here.