MLSA Legal - Lawyers representing Delal Akyüz, a journalist detained in İzmir, Turkey, have filed an appeal against the house arrest imposed on him, while the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has reportedly filed an objection, deeming the house arrest insufficient and seeking his detention.
The appeal, filed by the lawyers of Akyüz, one of the journalists detained in İzmir as part of an investigation initiated by the İzmir Republic Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, seeks to lift the house arrest decision. The appeal, submitted by lawyers from the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) and Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), to the İzmir 4th Peace Criminal Judgeship, emphasized that the charges against Akyüz are related to his journalistic activities and are protected under press freedom.
The petition also pointed out that the allegations are largely based on statements from a witness whose reliability is questionable and whose statements conflict with other cases. It was also noted that the decision violates principles set out in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding freedom of expression and the role of the press in a democratic society, and that journalistic activities should not be criminalized.
The petition highlighted the lack of concrete evidence directly linking Akyüz to any crime, arguing that the house arrest severely hinders his ability to perform her journalistic duties, infringing both on his personal freedom and the public's right to information.
The document stated that house arrest is a disproportionate measure and not in accordance with the necessary legal principles of purpose and proportionality, requesting that the house arrest decision be annulled in favor of a more suitable and less restrictive judicial control measure.
On the other hand, the İzmir Republic Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which initiated the investigation, is understood to have found the house arrest measure insufficient and filed an objection for Akyüz's detention.
Background of the Decision
Akyüz was detained on February 13, along with Cihan Başakçıoğlu, a reporter for Gazete Duvar; Semra Turan, Tolga Güney, and Melike Aydın, reporters for Mezopotamya Agency (MA); and Fatma Funda Akbulut, a press worker for DEM Party. The journalists were held for three days at the İzmir Police Department's Counter-Terrorism (TEM) Branch and were referred to the Peace Criminal Judgeship on February 16 with charges of "membership in an organization."
Following the interrogation by the judgeship, the six journalists were released. However, Semra Turan and Cihan Başakçıoğlu were ordered to sign at a police station twice a week, while Delal Akyüz, Tolga Güney, Melike Aydın, and Fatma Funda Akbulut were subjected to house arrest with electronic tagging. The journalists under house arrest are confined to their homes, while the others are prohibited from leaving their respective cities.
