Seven journalists arrested in house raids have been imprisoned pending trial over their news reports and TV programs

Journalists Necla Demir, Rahime Karvar, Ahmet Güneş, Velat Ekin, Reyhan Hacıoğlu and Vedat Örüç were arrested in house raids on 17 January as part of an investigation launched by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

On 20 January, Necla Demir, Rahime Karvar, Ahmet Güneş and Velat Ekin, who were arrested in İstanbul, were brought to the İstanbul Courthouse, while Reyhan Hacıoğlu, who was arrested in Van, and Vedat Örüç, who was arrested in Mersin, connected to the prosecutor’s office via the judicial videoconferencing system.

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau, which is conducting the investigation, referred the six journalists to a criminal court of peace with a request for imprisonment. In the referral letter, the prosecutor's office requested the imprisonment of Vedat Örüç, Necla Demir, Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Rahime Karvar and Ahmet Güneş, who made programs for Medya Haber TV channel headquartered in Belgium, on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” over their SSI records at Güncel Prodiksiyon Medya Yayın Hizmetleri Limited Şirketi, and of Velat Ekin over being a company official.

The six journalists were interrogated at the İstanbul 3rd Criminal Judgeship of Peace and were imprisoned pending trial on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and sent to prison over their news reports and discussion programs. İstanbul 3rd Criminal Judgeship of Peace also issued the arrest warrant against seven journalists who were arrested during a protest held in İstanbul on 21 December 2024 for journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin who were killed in Syria.

Lawyers: “Attempts were made to interrogate our clients under the name of ‘chat’”

Jailed journalists were restricted from seeing their lawyers for one day. The lawyers of the journalists stated that their clients, who were not allowed to meet with their lawyers, were being interrogated under the name of “chatting.” The journalists, who did not know the charges against them due to the restriction in the file, exercised their right to remain silent at the police station. During the transfer to the courthouse, journalists Ahmet Güneş and Velat Ekin were battered by the police for not keeping their heads down.

On the other hand, journalist Eylem Babayiğit was arrested from her home on 22 January as part of the same investigation. Babayiğit was imprisoned pending trial on 22 January. Thus, seven journalists were sent to prison as part of the same investigation.

Reactions to the arrest decision

Peoples' Democratic Congress Co-Spokesperson and DEM Party Erzurum MP Meral Danış Beştaş said, “Journalists do not have to report the news in line with what the government wants. They pursue the truth instead of distorting the facts. They are not the orderlies of the government, and their profession requires questioning.”

Democratic Regions Party Co-Chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar argued that the jailed journalists were the spokespersons of many groups and said, “Free Press Workers have been the voice of Kurds, Alevis, the oppressed, women, youth, nature and laborers. They did not bow down, they did not back down. They practiced journalism worthy of the truth they carried in their news and programs. They were imprisoned. You cannot silence the voice of truth.”

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, of which the journalists are members, said, “We do not accept this decision. We will not bow our heads and we will not give up writing the truth. We will continue to defend journalism no matter what.”

DEM Party made the following statement regarding the imprisonmets: “We condemn this decision, which has no legal justification, in the strongest terms. In such a period when the law is trampled underfoot and human rights are ignored, you cannot silence journalists who write the truth. There will always be journalists who will not leave the pen of Nazıms and Cihans on the ground, they will not give up.”