Four journalists imprisoned pending trial; prosecutor requests sentencing for Barış Terkoğlu in “defamation” case; Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı's “insulting a public official” case dismissed

Four journalists jailed on terrorism charges after raids in Artvin-based investigation

Four journalists who were among seven individuals detained in house raids on 13 June as part of an Artvin-based investigation were jailed three days later on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization."

Journalists Yavuz Akengin, Eylem Yılmaz, Dicle Baştürk, and Sendika.org employee Ozan Cırık were arrested along with journalist Semra Pelek, translator Melisa Efe, and another individual. All were transferred to the Black Sea province of Artvin for questioning. Police also raided the home of another journalist, Metin Yoksu, but he was not taken into custody as he was not at home during the raid.

During interrogation, the journalists were accused of receiving payments for news content or software services they provided to a website allegedly linked to what authorities refer to as FETÖ (Fethullahist Terrorist Organization). The investigation file has been placed under a confidentiality order.

“There is nothing that can be associated with terrorist organization membership. These individuals produced commissioned work and were compensated for it,” said Haktan Özkan, one of the journalists’ lawyers. “This imprisonment order is a violation not only of the right to work but also of the right to freedom of expression.”

Aslıhan Gençay summoned to testify on the charge of “insulting a public official”

Journalist Aslıhan Gençay announced that Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin had filed a complaint over her reporting on the blocking of access to the “Falyalı tapes.”

Gençay stated that she had been summoned to testify on the charge of “insulting a public official” and that she rejected the charges.

In her article titled “The names on Falyalı's tapes,” Gençay claimed that Halil Falyalı, a North Cypriot businessman who was assassinated three years ago, had tapes containing the names of high-ranking Turkish bureaucrats and politicians.

Court refers case file to prosecutor’s office for final opinion in Mehmet Şahin’s trial

The third hearing in the retrial of Mehmet Şahin, a writer for the Xwebûn newspaper, on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court on 19 June 2025.

Şahin did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer, Resul Temur, was present.

The court decided to send the case file to the prosecutor’s office for preparation of the final opinion on the case. The trial was adjourned until 23 September 2025.

Şahin is on trial for his participation in meetings and press statements, as well as for his interviews with news sources.

Trial of Barış Terkoğlu for “insulting a public official” adjourned until December

The eighth hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Terkoğlu, who is charged with “insulting a public official” upon a complaint filed by former İstanbul Regional Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu, was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 19 June 2025.

Terkoğlu did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, was present. P24 monitored the hearing.

Ermaner requested that the missing elements in file be completed.

The court decided to await the outcome of the decision to be rendered by the 5th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation acting as the court of first instance in the case file numbered 2024/26 concerning Salihoğlu.

The trial was adjourned until 11 December 2025.

Prosecutor requests sentencing for Barış Terkoğlu in “defamation” case

The fifth hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Terkoğlu, who is charged with “defamation” over three opinion pieces he wrote about a case filed against Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former mayor of İstanbul who was replaced by a trustee, was heldat the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 19 June 2025.

Terkoğlu did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, was present. P24 monitored the hearing.

Ermaner requested that Hüseyin Zengin, one of the former judges who had presided over the case against İmamoğlu, be called as a witness. The prosecutor requested that the request be rejected. The court rejected the request on the grounds that the content of the article in question was based on hearsay, that no administrative investigation had been conducted on the matter, and that it would not contribute to the trial.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested that Terkoğlu be punished for the impugned crime.

Lawyer Ermaner requested time to make a statement in response to the prosecutor’s opinion.

The court granted the request and adjourned the trial until 11 December 2025.

Trial of Furkan Karabay adjourned until July

The fourth hearing in the case against jailed journalist Furkan Karabay, who is charged with “insulting the president” over social media posts, was held at the İstanbul 74th Criminal Court of First Instance on 19 June 2025.

The defense lawyers were present in the courtroom. P24 monitored the hearing.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested a sentence for the impugned crime.

Karabay's lawyer requested additional time to make a statement in response to the final opinion.

The court granted the request for additional time and adjourned the trial until 11 July 2025.

Sedef Kabaş's “insulting the president” case adjourned until November

The seventh hearing in the trial of journalist Sedef Kabaş, who was charged with “insulting the president” over social media posts, was held at the Anadolu 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 19 June 2025.

Kabaş did not attend the hearing, but her lawyer, Selen Sınmaz, was present.

The court ruled that the case file against Kabaş was connected to cases heard at the İstanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance and the Anadolu 7th Criminal Court of First Instance, and decided to wait for the verdicts in those cases to become final.

The trial was adjourned until 13 November 2025.

Adnan Bilen acquitted in retrial

The retrial of journalist Adnan Bilen on the charge of “insulting the president” was held at the Van 4th Criminal Court of First Instance on 18 June 2025.

Bilen and his lawyer, Haşem Baygümüş, were present at the hearing.

Repeating his previous statements in response to the charges, Bilen said that the social media posts in question were not insults but harsh criticism.

In their final opinion on the case submitted to the court, the prosecutor requested that Bilen be punished for the impugned crime.

The court acquitted Bilen in line with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the previous ruling.

Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı's “insulting a public official” case dismissed

The second hearing in the retrial of Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, former president of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and human rights defender, on the charge of “insulting a public official” was held at the Anadolu 42nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 17 June 2025.

In addition to Fincancı and her lawyer Meriç Eyüpoğlu, the hearing was attended by Prof. Dr. Ümit Biçer, a forensic medicine expert and member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TİHV), and officials from the TTB.

Fincancı in her defense said, “My statements are of a critical nature. As a scientist and human rights defender, I did not remain silent in the face of thousands of people being injured, eight people being killed, and more than 10 people losing their eyesight.”

Lawyer Eyüpoğlu said, “In line with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the ruling, we request that our client be acquitted.”

Following the defense statements, the prosecutor requested that the case be dismissed due to the statute of limitations.

When asked for her final statement, Fincancı requested acquittal rather than the case to be dismissed due to the statute of limitations.

The court announced its decision to dismiss the case due to the statute of limitations.

Fincancı had been retried after the Supreme Court overturned a fine imposed on her for insulting then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the Gezi protests.

Trial of Can Dündar for “insulting a public official” begins

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Can Dündar, who participated in the “Editor-in-Chief on Duty” campaign launched in solidarity with the Özgür Gündem newspaper, on the charge of “insulting a public official” was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 17 June 2025.

The prosecutor requested that the missing details be filled in.

The court decided to wait for Dündar's arrest warrant to be executed and adjourned the trial until 18 December 2025.

Dündar stands trial over an article published in the newspaper titled "Saray rejiminin en kullanışlı hâkimi" (The most useful judge of the palace regime).

Elif Bayburt appears before the judge on the charge of “insulting the state”

The first hearing in the trial of our reporter Elif Bayburt, who is charged with “insulting the Turkish Republic,” was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 17 June 2025.

Bayburt is on trial over an interview she conducted with Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, an activist with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), regarding her killing by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.

Bayburt and her lawyers were present in the courtroom.

Bayburt stated that she spoke with activist Rob Sadler, who witnessed the killing of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, over the phone on 7 September 2024, and said, "I asked him what was happening at that moment and about his observations in the occupied West Bank. Ayşenur Ezgi was a citizen of both the US and Turkey. The US has already openly declared its support for Zionist Israel, but there were many claims that Turkey was also continuing trade with Israel and transporting oil to it. For this reason, I felt compelled to ask him what he thought about Turkey and the US's relations with Israel. He said that he believed both the Turkish and US governments were complicit in Israel's genocide. I wrote this without censorship. These statements were used as grounds for the charges against me.”

Bayburt's lawyer then asked for more time.

The trial was adjourned until 16 December 2025.

Hatice Şahin's retrial for “membership in a terrorist organization" adjourned until November

The second hearing in the retrial of Yeni Yaşam newspaper employee Hatice Şahin on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court on 17 June 2025.

Şahin did not attend the hearing, but her lawyer, Bahar Oktay, was present in the courtroom.

The presiding judge stated that no response had been received to the letter requesting that the case be merged with the case being heard by the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court.

Lawyer Bahar Oktay requested that the international travel ban imposed on her client since 9 October 2018, be lifted. The court decided to write another letter requesting that the case be merged with the case heard by the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court and that keep in place the ban on Şahin's departure from the country.

The trial was adjourned until 27 November 2025.

Arrest warrant issued for Gökhan Yavuzel

The first hearing in the retrial of Gökhan Yavuzel, a member of the International PEN, on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” (TMK 7/2) was held at the Şanlıurfa 5th High Criminal Court in Şanlıurfa on 17 June 2025.

Yavuzel, who resides abroad, did not attend the hearing.

The court issued a warrant for Yavuzel's arrest.

In 2019, Yavuzel was sentenced to 15 months in prison for “terrorism propaganda.” In June 2024, the Constitutional Court (AYM) ruled that Yavuzel's freedom of expression had been violated and overturned the case.

The case file in question includes a book of poems dedicated to Özgecan Aslan, who was murdered; artistic writings, poems on the themes of Saturday Mothers, Berkin Elvan, Hacı Lokman Birlik, Kurdistan, and Kobanê; a flag seen in the background during a cultural book signing event, and a video filmed after he was physically attacked.

At least 31 journalists and media workers in prison

Following the imprisonment of journalists Ozan Cırık, Dicle Baştürk, Eylem Emel Yılmaz and Yavuz Akengin, as of 20 June 2025, there are at least 31 journalists and media workers in pre-trial detention or imprisonment in Turkey.

The full list can be accessed here.