House arrest lifted for Melike Aydın and Tolga Güney
Lawyer Nazan Betül Vangölü Kozağaçlı released
Journalist Delal Akyüz’s house arrest lifted
This week, trials related to press and freedom of expression continued in different cities, and pressures on journalists persisted. The MLSA Trial Monitoring Unit followed 12 cases in three cities.
February 10, Monday
House arrest lifted for Melike Aydın and Tolga Güney. House arrest lifted for Melike Aydın and Tolga Güney.
Melike Aydın, Tolga Güney, and Semra Turan, who were detained as part of the same investigation in İzmir and faced separate trials, appeared before the same court in succession. The court lifted the one-year house arrest imposed on Aydın and Güney but ruled to continue the travel ban for all three journalists.
February 11, Tuesday
Acquittal for Yapıcı, Altınay, and Ekmekçi in the Gezi trial.Acquittal for Yapıcı, Altınay, and Ekmekçi in the Gezi trial.
In the retrial of the Gezi case, Mücella Yapıcı, Ali Hakan Altınay, and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi were acquitted on the grounds of a "lack of definitive and sufficient evidence."
Mehmet Aslan: 'I report on any topic I want, this cannot be a crime.' In the trial of journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat, the court decided to send a memorandum to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to inquire about the status of the open investigation files against Alayumat and Aslan.
February 12, Wednesday
Lawyer Nazan Betül Vangölü Kozağaçlı released.
Lawyer Betül Kozağaçlı, who had been in detention for a year, was released with a travel ban. The third hearing of her trial, in which she was charged with "membership in an organization," took place at the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court. Kozağaçlı was arrested following police operations conducted after an armed attack on the police checkpoint in front of the Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul.
Activist İris Mozalar: 'My intention was not to incite hatred and hostility, but to criticize the committed crime.' In the trial of LGBT+ activist İris Mozalar, who was prosecuted for tweets criticizing racist attacks against refugees, barriers were placed in the corridor where the courtroom was located, and police followed Mozalar until they left the courthouse.
Journalist Delal Akyüz’s house arrest lifted. Journalist Delal Akyüz, whose legal defense was undertaken by MLSA, appeared before the judge for the first time after a year under house arrest. The court lifted the house arrest but ruled to maintain the travel ban.
Dismissed Dersim Municipality Co-Mayor Konak’s trial begins. The trial of Dersim Municipality Co-Mayor Konak, who was dismissed and replaced by a trustee, began over speeches and statements given to the press. The court requested the investigation file regarding a speech Konak made after the appointment of the trustee.
February 13, Thursday
Judicial control measures not lifted for journalists Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak. In the trial of Kamış and Çolak, who were released in July, the court rejected their request for the return of digital materials. The court ruled to continue the judicial control measures and postponed the hearing to May 6.
February 14, Friday
Justification for the censorship law penalty: ‘Sharing without consulting authorized persons.’ The detailed ruling on journalist Yüsra Batıhan’s 10-month prison sentence for "publicly spreading misleading information" was announced. The court argued that Batıhan’s social media post could not be considered journalistic activity because she had not consulted authorized persons before sharing the information.
