Üçar, who had been in pre-trial detention for 225 days on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” has been released pending trial at the end of the first hearing 

ARDIL BATMAZ, BATMAN

The first hearing in the case against journalist Mehmet Üçar on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Batman 2nd High Criminal Court on 8 July 2025.

Üçar participated in the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system from the prison where he is being held. Üçar's lawyer, Şirin Şen, was present in the courtroom. P24 monitored the hearing.

Üçar was imprisoned pending trial on 29 November 2024, and sent to Eskişehir H Type Closed Prison on the grounds that he sent news, articles, and photographs to the European-based newspaper Yeni Özgür Politika and the magazine PolitikArt. In the indictment filed by the Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau, the newspaper Yeni Özgür Politika and the magazine PolitikArt, to which Üçar sent news articles, are considered media outlets “publishing under the guidance of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization.”

“I was detained by torture”

Üçar stated in his defense that the social media account did not belong to him but that the news articles did. Üçar noted that there were many fake accounts opened in his name and that the account mentioned in the indictment could be one of them. Pointing out that the prosecution had not collected any evidence in his favor, Üçar stated that the investigation had been initiated with prejudice because he was a Kurd living in Eskişehir. Üçar said he was tortured while in custody and that he was asked about hundreds of news articles during his police statement, but only three were included in the indictment, saying, “This alone shows that the investigation was launched with prejudice.”

Stating that he is a freelance journalist and only works as a journalist, Üçar said, "I am a journalist trying to earn a living. My conversations with my friends were criminalized. My police statement lasted more than 13 hours. I was asked hundreds of questions, but 95 percent of them were not included in the indictment. This shows that the judiciary is biased. The attitude of the prosecutor is indicative of a historical bias against me. I have been in prison for a long time and I demand my release."

Court rules for Üçar's release

Following Üçar, a witness taking the floor claimed that the X account mentioned in the indictment belonged to Mehmet Üçar. The witness, who said they wrote several articles for Politikart magazine at Üçar's request, stated, “I do not know exactly how the system worked or who paid the royalties, but the money was deposited into his sister's account.”

Üçar responded to the witness's statements, saying, “We lived together for eight years. Those close to me know this. After I ended our relationship, there was friction between us. That is why they made false statements about me.”

Üçar's lawyer, Şirin Şen, argued that the prosecutor’s approach was not legal and that even if the witness statements were accepted, the case could be classified as “terrorism propaganda” rather than “membership in a terrorist organization,” and requested her client's release.

The prosecutor demanded that Üçar be kept in pre-trial detention.

The court ruled to release Üçar with a ban on leaving the country, and adjourned the trial until 20 November 2025