ECtHR to hear Ayşenur Parıldak’s case; police officers who handcuffed Beyza Kural behind her back fined; access to Mezopotamya news agency blocked; microphone taken away from audience member addressing Murat Kurum 

ECtHR to hear Ayşenur Parıldak’s case 

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is going to start hearing the case of former Zaman newspaper reporter Ayşenur Parıldak on 19 March 2024. Parıldak was imprisoned pending trial in August 2016 on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” and sentenced to 7 years and 6 months of imprisonment in November 2017 by the Ankara High Criminal Court for having used the “Bylock” application.  

Ayşenur Parıldak, who worked as a courthouse reporter at the Ankara office of the now shut-down Zaman newspaper as well as studying law at Ankara University, was arrested on the campus of the faculty she attended on 3 August 2016. Parıldak was arrested on the charge of “membership in an armed terrorist organization” on 11 August 2016 and placed in Sincan Closed Women's Prison. After five years and seven months in remand, Parıldak was released on 18 March 2022.  

Click here to read about the details of the case.  

Access to Mezopotamya news agency denied 

Access to Mezopotamya news agency’s (MA) domain mezopotamyaajansi35.com was blocked by a decision of the Erzurum 1st Criminal Court of Peace on grounds of “protecting national security and public order.”  

Access to the same domain had previously been blocked by a decision of the Diyarbakır 3rd Criminal Court of Peace on 21 May 2021.  

Court announces its reasoned decision for the acquittal of MA editor Sedat Yılmaz  

The reasoned decision in the case of Mezopotamya news agency (MA) editor Sedat Yılmaz, who was acquitted after facing trial at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on charges of “establishing and administrating a terrorist organization” and “membership in a terrorist organization” based on testimonies by secret and open witnesses, has been announced by the court.  

In its reasoned decision, the court stated that there was no evidence other than witnesses’ statements. The decision underlined that the movement of sums in Yılmaz’s bank accounts identified by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report did not constitute information that could be considered to support the charge of “membership and administration in a terrorist organization” against Yılmaz. The reasoned decision stated that there was no evidence disproving points made by Yılmaz in his defense and that the court had ruled to acquit the defendant as per the principle of benefit of the doubt to the accused and in the absence of adequate, unequivocal, tangible and credible evidence for sentencing beyond reasonable doubt.  

Yılmaz was arrested on 3 May 2023 as part of an investigation being run by the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office on charges of “establishing and administrating a terrorist organization” and “membership in a terrorist organization.” He was released after the first hearing in the trial at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on 14 December 2023. Yılmaz was acquitted at the second hearing held on 29 February 2024.  

Microphone taken away from audience member asking AKP candidate for Mayor of İstanbul a question 

The microphone was taken away from a member of the audience who tried to ask a question to Murat Kurum, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate for Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The incident took place on a TV program presented by Mehmet Akif Ersoy on the Habertürk network on 11 March 2024.   

After the female audience member started speaking and said, “After you win the election, concerning Gaza and Palestine…” someone was heard saying “That is not allowed, may I have the microphone back.” Presenter Mehmet Akif Ersoy then said, “Could you please pass the microphone” and the microphone was given to another audience member.  

Murat Kurum left the question unanswered.  

KCK Academy case adjourned 

The 22nd hearing in the trial of 16 people, including journalist Haydar Ergül, on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” in the “KCK Academy” trial was held at the İstanbul 22nd High Criminal Court on 14 March 2024.  

Defendants’ lawyers were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored.  

The prosecutor repeated their final opinion on the case presented at the hearing on 31 May 2023 and requested sentencing for Ergül and the other 15 defendants for the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.” Defense requested time to set up their counterstatements.  

The court accepted the request for time, ruled to keep in place the judicial control measures on the defendants and adjourned the trial until 13 June 2024.  

Court keeps in place international travel ban on MA editor Abdurrahman Gök  

The third hearing in the trial of Mezopotamya news agency (MA) editor Abdurrahman Gök on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorism propaganda” was held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court on 12 March 2024.  

Abdurrahman Gök and his lawyers Resul Temur, Mehmet Emin Aktar and Emine Özhasar were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored.  

The court allowed the defense time to prepare against the statements of the secret witness, ruled to keep the ban on Gök travelling abroad in place and adjourned the trial until 11 June 2024.  

Click here for a detailed report.  

Prosecutor requests sentencing for Mehmet Salih Turan 

The first hearing in the retrial of journalist Mehmet Salih Turan on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” over 11 tweets he posted between July 2016 and November 2017 was held at the İstanbul 32nd High Criminal Court on 12 March 2024.  

Turan’s lawyers were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored. Turan did not attend the hearing. 

Turan’s lawyer Nevroz Akalan requested her client’s acquittal after reminding the court of the Constitutional Court judgment regarding her client being allowed to benefit from the deferment of the sentence provisions and the violation of his freedom of expression. Lawyer Alakan said, “The social media posts subject to the case consist solely of criticism. While propaganda involves having someone adopt the ideology of an illegal organization, these posts just contain criticism. They do not present a clear and imminent danger. My client’s right to a fair trial has been violated.”  

Presenting their final opinion on the case, the prosecutor requested sentencing for Turan for the impugned crime. Turan’s lawyers requested time to prepare a statement against the final opinion.  

The court accepted their request and adjourned the trial until 24 April 2024.  

Turan was arrested on 12 February 2019 on the charge of “terrorism propaganda.” Turan’s lawyers applied to the Constitutional Court, arguing that his arrest was a violation of fundamental individual freedoms and security and the right to the freedom of expression and the press. Turan sentenced to 1 year and 3 months of imprisonment at the first hearing held at the İstanbul 32nd High Criminal Cour on 21 March 2019, and the sentence was deferred. The journalist was released at the end of the hearing. Turan’s retrial began after the provisions governing the deferment of the sentence was annulled by the Constitutional Court.  

Police officers who handcuffed journalist Beyza Kural behind her back ordered to pay administrative fine of TL 9,000 

The third hearing in the retrial of three police officers who tried to detain former bianet reporter Beyza Kural by handcuffing her behind her back was held at the İstanbul 35th Criminal Court of First Instance on 12 March 2024. The retrial had begun after the appellate court overturned the fine the police officers were ordered to pay for the crime of “violating the freedom to work and employment.” 

Defendant police officer K.A., plaintiff Beyza Kural and lawyers for the parties were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored. Defendant police officers Y.Ş. and N.D. did not attend the hearing.  

Repeating the opinion as to the basis, the prosecutor requested sentencing for the defendant police officers for the crimes of “violating the freedom to work and employment” and “preventing working activity through abuse of powers granted by public duty.” 

The court ordered defendant police officers K.A., Y.Ş, and N.D. to pay an administrative fine of TL 9,000 for the crime of “violating of the freedom to work and employment” and deferred the sentence. The court also ruled to file a criminal complaint with the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office against the defendant police officers on suspicion of “assault” and the “prevention of the enjoyment of the freedom of thought” as requested by lawyer Meriç Eyüboğlu.  

Click here for a detailed report.  

Danish journalist Mads Anneberg's trial adjourned until June

The seventh hearing in the trial of Danish journalist Mads Anneberg on the charge of “entering prohibited military zones” was held at the Edirne 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 12 March 2024. Anneberg was detained on 3 March 2020 while covering the movement of refugees along the Turkey-Greece border.  

No parties attended the hearing.  

The court ruled to await the execution of the order for Anneberg’s detention. The trial was adjourned until 6 June 2024.  

Journalist Ziya Çiçekçi’s trial adjourned until October

The 16th hearing in the trial of Ziya Çiçekçi, licensed publisher and managing editor of the now shut-down Özgür Gündem newspaper on charges of “praising an offense or an offender” and “terrorism propaganda” over news items published in the newspaper was held at the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 11 March 2024.  

No parties attended the hearing.  

The court ruled to await the execution of the order for Çiçekçi’s detention and adjourned the trial until 14 October 2024.  

Journalist and writer Ercan Aktaş’s trial adjourned until September

The fifth hearing in the trial of journalist and writer Ercan Aktaş on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” was held at the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 11 Mart 2024.  

While Aktaş did not attend the hearing, his lawyer Muhammed Ünsal was present.  

The court ruled to await the execution of the order for Ünsal’s detention and adjourned the trial until 14 October 2024.  

At least 29 journalists and media workers in prison 

According to latest information obtained by Expression Interrupted, with the release on İdris Özyol on 1 March 2024, there are at least 29 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a sentence as of 15 March 2024.. 

The full list can be accessed here.