Toral, who said she was beaten during her detention, said, “The violence I suffered during my detention caused a tear in my left hip. Almost two years have passed, and I still cannot react quickly when covering a news”

EYLEM SONBAHAR, ISTANBUL

The first hearing in the trial of JinNews reporter Elfazi Toral and Demokratik Modernite magazine employee Sema Korkmaz, who were detained while covering a press conference in front of the DEM Party Istanbul Provincial Headquarters, and one other person on, charges of “resisting to prevent the performance of duty” and “participating in illegal meetings and marches without weapons and failing to disperse voluntarily despite warnings” was held at the Istanbul 25th Criminal Court of First Instance on 27 November 2025.

Toral and her lawyer Sidar Perçin were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

After her identity was verified, Toral presented her defense, stating, "I went to the press conference as a journalist to cover the news. I was unaware of any ban. I had a camera and tripod in my hand. While the crowd was waiting for the announcement, the police first intervened directly against the press. I was there as a member of the press, and we were not given any warning by the police. I did not resist the police in any way, I did not assault them.”

Describing how she was assaulted and taken into custody, Toral continued as follows: ”They grabbed me by my hair while I was holding my camera and took me to the custody vehicle, assaulting me along the way. Even though I insisted that I was a journalist, they asked me, 'Are you a protester?’ I was tortured for about 20 minutes in the detention vehicle. I had balance problems because I was hit so many times in the heart. Even though I said I was sick, a male police officer kept coming back and hitting me in the heart and stomach. After that, I had to vomit.”

“In the detention vehicle, they kept threatening me, saying, 'Let's go to the police station, we will show you there.’ When we arrived at the police station, I was subjected to a strip search. The violence I suffered during my detention caused a tear in my left hip. Almost two years have passed, and I still cannot react quickly when covering a news. As a journalist, I was there for the public's right to information. I do not accept the charges against me."

Toral's lawyer, Sidar Perçin, also requested her client's acquittal, stating that the elements of the alleged crime were not present: "For the crime of resistance attributed to my client to be established, she must have participated in an unlawful meeting and march and insisted on not dispersing despite the use of force. My client was not aware that the meeting was prohibited. Force was used against the meeting without a press statement being made, and my client was one of those detained. It is clear that the crime did not occur because this condition did not materialize. The intervention here was not only physical but also an intervention against the press and freedom of expression. My client showed her press card, and it is clear that she was present at the scene as a member of the press."

The identity of the police officer who arrived at the hearing later was verified. In his statement, the police officer said, "It was a difficult day; we were notified of the ban decision by the district governor's office. I do not know the lady; I have no problem with her personally. Despite our notification of the ban decision, they refused to disperse. There was a struggle with her during the arrest, and I had to handcuff her. She did not struggle with me personally; it was not directed at me, it was directed at the Turkish police. I am the plaintiff, and I do not wish to participate in the case."

The prosecutor requested that the missing details be addressed. Lawyer Perçin requested that her client, Toral, be excused from the hearings.

The court decided to excuse Elfazi Toral from the hearings. The court also decided to take procedural steps to investigate Sema Korkmaz's address and obtain her statement, and postponed the case until 14 April 2026.

Background of the case

On 8 December 2023, journalists Elfazi Toral and Sema Korkmaz and one other person were detained while covering a press conference planned in front of the DEM Party's Istanbul Provincial Headquarters.

The indictment filed against the journalists charged Elfazi Toral with “resisting to prevent the performance of duty” and “participating in illegal meetings and marches without weapons and failing to disperse voluntarily despite warnings.” Sema Korkmaz and one other person were charged with “participating in illegal meetings and marches without weapons and failing to disperse voluntarily despite warnings.”