Karabay will appear in court on the 201st day of his detention. The first hearing will be held on 2 December

CANSU PİŞKİN, ISTANBUL

An indictment filed against journalist Furkan Karabay on charges of “insulting the president,” "disclosing names of individuals involved in the fight against terrorism” and “insulting a public official” was accepted by the İstanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 18 September 2025. The first hearing will be held on 2 December 2025.

The indictment against Karabay, who was imprisoned pending trial on 15 May on charges of “insulting the president” and “disclosing names of individuals involved in the fight against terrorism” over his social media posts, was completed on 5 September.

In addition to his social media posts, Karabay's statements made during his detention review on 11 July at the Istanbul 4th Criminal Court of Peace were also considered criminal offenses in the indictment. The prosecutor argued that Karabay's statements were “derogatory to the honor, dignity, and reputation of Istanbul 4th Criminal Court of Peace Judge Hatice Kozan and aimed at damaging the victim's reputation in society,” claiming that this constituted the crime of “insulting a public official.”

The indictment lists President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, İstanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, İstanbul Deputy Chief Prosecutor Can Tuncay, Public Prosecutor Ahmet Şahin, and Judge Hatice Kozan as “victims.”