Seven journalists imprisoned; court orders dissolution of GÖÇİZDER; imprisonment sentences in Özgür Gündem trial; indictment filed against Nevşin Mengü on charge of "terrorism propaganda"

Seven journalists imprisoned pending trial

The police broke up a group of demonstrators, who gathered at the Şişhane Square in Beyoğlu, İstanbul on 21 December 2024 to protest the killing of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin in a drone attack while reporting in Syria.

Many journalists were detained during the police intervention. Nine detainees were placed in pre-trial detention, including seven journalists.

The imprisoned journalists are as follows: Gülistan Dursun, Can Papila, Pınar Gayıp, Serpil Ünal, Hayri Tunç, Enes Sezgin and Osman Akın.

Journalists Zeynep Kuray, Yadigar Aygün, Mahsum Sağlam, as well as Yağmur Filiz and Pelin Laçin, who were transferred to the court with a request for judicial control measures were released under judicial control measures.

Indictment filed against Nevşin Mengü on charge of “terrorism propaganda”

The İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment against Nevşin Mengü on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” over her interview with the PYD Presidential Council member Salih Müslim.

The prosecutor’s office claimed that Müslim had tried to consciously legitimize and propagate information on activities of the terrorist group and that Mengü had propagated the same.

Mengü had broadcast her interview with Salih Müslim on developments in Syria on her YouTube channel on 13 December 2024. A short while afterwards, she stated on social media that she had removed the interview from her channel. However, Mengü was detained the same day on suspicion of “praising an offense or an offender” and was released after providing a statement.

Yeni Yaşam newspaper employee detained

Yeni Yaşam newspaper employee Veysi Akören was detained at Batman Airport, where he had travelled from İstanbul, on 25 December 2024.

Akören was taken to the Batman Provincial Directorate of Security and no information could be obtained as to the reason for his detention.

Investigation against T24 and Seyhan Avşar

The Terrorism Crimes Investigation Office of the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office started an ex officio investigation into the T24 news website, as well as Gerçek Gündem Editor-in-Chief Seyhan Avşar on suspicion of “terrorism propaganda” and “spreading false information.” The reason for the investigation against T24 was cited as the news item titled “Gazeteciler Nazım Daştan ve Cihan Bilgin, Suriye’de öldürüldü," (Journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin slain in Syria) which was published on 20 December 2024. The reason for the investigation against Seyhan Avşar was cited as her post on the X platform on 21 December 2024.

The prosecutor’s office has announced the justification for the investigation as “Expressions praising Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who have records as members of the PKK terrorist organization and spreading false information to the effect they were killed because of their so-called journalistic activities and identity as journalists.”

Investigation against Öznur Değer

The Mardin Chief Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation against JinNews reporter Öznur Değer.

Değer had been reporting from the condolence tent set up on 22 December 2024 for journalists Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan, who were killed in the drone attack launched in northern Syria.

Upon a police officer within the police line set up against the marchers saying, “Come on top of me,” Değer responded, “What do you mean ‘on top of me,’ know your place.” Superior officers intervened and said they would warn the officer in question.

The day after the incident, the prosecutor’s office launched an investigation against Değer on suspicion of “insulting a public official.”

Silivri Prison employee files criminal complaint against Merdan Yanardağ

A public worker employed at the Silivri Prison filed a criminal complaint against journalist Merdan Yanardağ over what he said about prisons in Turkey on a TV show.

The petition filed with the Silivri Chief Prosecutor’s Office quotes Yanardağ saying, “The prisons in Syria are no worse than the prisons in Turkey. If you compared it to the cruelty at those prisons, not that we should be competing over cruelty, you would have to send in the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency.”

The petition argues that Merdan Yanardağ had acted with the intent to cause concern, fear, and panic among the people, especially relatives of detainees and convicts, had publicly spread false information and requested an investigation against Yanardağ on suspicion of “denigrating the state of the Republic of Turkey, the institutions and organs of state” and “spreading false information.”

Investigation against Medine Mamedoğlu for “provoking the people to disobey the law”

An investigation was launched against journalist Medine Mamedoğlu over her social media posts concerning a child in Hakkari being attacked and detained.

In April, a child in Hakkari had been attacked and detained by plainclothes police officers during the demonstrations against the attempt to install a public administrator to run Van Metropolitan Municipality. Journalist Medine Mamedoğlu, who had shared images of the incident, is now under investigation on suspicion of “provoking the people to disobey the law.”

Attack on Halk TV premises: One person detained

The İstanbul Directorate of Security has made an announcement concerning the break-in and attack on the premises of Halk TV in Zeytinburnu, İstanbul.

The statement said that work was underway on the matter of “damage to property” at the premises of a national TV network operating from Maltepe Neighborhood concerning the incident which took place at 11.00 hours on 20 December 2024 and stated, “An individual named Y.P. was identified to have entered the network’s premises, used insulting language against staff and damaged the equipment used by the network and the said individual was caught and detained at the location of incident.”

Two people who attacked KRT TV imprisoned pending trial

A person who said they had a bomb on them tried to enter KRT TV premises and was detained by the police and an individual who was accompanying them were imprisoned pending trial by a court on 22 December 2024.

A person who claimed to have been carrying a hand grenade had forcibly entered the premises of KRT TV in the evening on 21 December 2024. The individual went past security, damaged the card entry system, and made their way to the executive floor. The individual was later apprehended and detained by the police.

The two attackers were placed in pre-trial detention as per the court’s orders.

Decision not to prosecute an investigation against Ahmet Kanbal

A decision not to prosecute was issued as a result of the investigation launched against Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Ahmet Kanbal on suspicion of “spreading false information” over a piece he wrote about the appointment of public trustees.

Journalist Kanbal had written an article titled “Kayyum siyaseti, hedefleri ve mücadele yöntemi üzerine kısa birkaç tespit ve öneri” (A few summary points and suggestions concerning the politics of appointing public trustees, its targets and method of resistance). In concluding the investigation, which had started on suspicion of “terrorism propaganda,” the Mardin Chief Prosecutor’s Office decided not to prosecute.

Following this decision, the prosecutor’s office launched a second investigation, this time on suspicion of “spreading false information,” over the expression “The aim is to appoint mayors to the cities of Kurdistan” in the article. The investigation file includes the following assessment: “As the suspect has not acted solely with the intent to create concern, fear and panic among the people, used his right to inform as a journalist and did not act with the intent to commit a crime, elements of the crime of publicly spreading false information have not formed.” The prosecutor issued a decision not to prosecute.

Delal Akyüz files application with ECtHR over house arrest and maltreatment

Journalist Delal Akyüz, who has been under house arrest for 11 months filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) over the house arrest order and the maltreatment he had experienced in detention.

Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Delal Akyüz, who was detained in İzmir on suspicion of “membership in a terrorist organization” on 13 February 2024 has filed an application with the ECtHR against the house arrest order and the maltreatment he experienced under detention. In the application filed by Akyüz’s lawyers upon their objections not being conclusive and the exhaustion of domestic remedies, it was stated that the practices against their client violated the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The application further states that with the detention of Akyüz by being handcuffed behind his back and the practices he encountered during the forensic examination process, the ban on torture and maltreatment had been violated. The application pointed out the house arrest orders and the denial of objections against them and stated that as trials at magistrates of peace are not fair or impartial, Akyüz's right to a fair trial had been violated.

Imprisonment sentences in the Özgür Gündem case

The final hearing in the retrial of Hüseyin Aykol, Ayşe Batumlu Kaya, Eren Keskin and Reyhan Çapan, who were administrators and contributors of the Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was shut down by statutory decree, was held at the İstanbul 14th High Criminal Court on 26 December 2024. The defendants were facing charges of “terrorism propaganda” and “provoking to commit crime” over the news items published in the newspaper.

Lawyers Özcan Kılıç and Sercan Korkmaz were present at the hearing.

The prosecutor repeated their final opinion on the case from the previous hearing and requested the defendants to be sentenced for the impugned crimes.

Announcing the verdict, the court refused to issue a decision concerning Eren Keskin, stating that the defendant had been sentenced to 6 years and 3 months of imprisonment in another case on “membership in a terrorist organization” concerning the Özgür Gündem newspaper.

The court sentenced the newspaper’s former Managing Editor Reyhan Çapan and Editor-in-Chief Hüseyin Aykol to 4 years 4 months and 15 days of imprisonment each and contributor Ayşe Batumlu to 2 years 9 months and 2 days of imprisonment for the crimes of “terrorism propaganda” and “provoking to commit crime.”

Court orders dissolution of GÖÇİZDER

The final hearing in the case brought for the dissolution of the Mi̇grati̇on Moni̇tori̇ng Associ̇ati̇on (GÖÇİZDER) was heldat the Bakırköy 15th Civil Court of First Instance on 26 December 2024.

Lawyers and administrators of the association were present at the hearing.

Announcing its verdict following defense statements, the court ordered the dissolution of GÖÇİZDER.

The reasoned decision is to be announced in the coming days.

GÖÇİZDER’s premises in Şirinevler, İstanbul was raided by the police on 3 June 2022 as part of an investigation being conducted by the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office and books prepared by the association as well as computers were confiscated.

22 GÖÇİZDER members and administrators, including the co-chairs of the association were detained the same day and a “secrecy” order was issued concerning the case. Seventeen people were imprisoned pending trial after eight days in detention. Four of the imprisoned defendants were released after the first hearing, and the remaining 13 were released after the second hearing.

Sultan Eylem Keleş’s retrial begins following Constitutional Court’s violation judgment

The first hearing in the retrial of journalist Sultan Eylem Keleş on the charge of “insulting the president” over her social media posts was held at the İzmir 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 25 December 2024.

While Keleş did not attend the hearing, her lawyer Sefkan Işık was present.

The court adjourned the trial until 15 January 2025 to complete the missing elements in the case file.

Keleş had stood trial over her social media comments, dated 18 February 2015 and 26 June 2015 concerning President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s following statement: “I want the entire world to know. We will never allow them to establish a state to the north of Syria and the south of Turkey, whatever the cost.” The initial verdict was issued at the second hearing held on 10 March 2022, without the court hearing the journalist’s defense. The İzmir 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced the journalist to 1 year 2 months and 17 days of imprisonment.

After the trial, Keleş filed an application with the Constitutional Court, claiming that she had not been given a fair trial. The Constitutional Court agreed with Keleş’s application and issued a violation judgment.

At least 34 journalists and media workers in prison

Following the imprisonment of seven journalists, as of 27 December 2024, there are at least 34 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a finalized prison sentence.

The full list can be accessed here.