MLSA - An Istanbul court has merged a new indictment based on secret witness testimony with an existing trial against journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat, all of whom are facing charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
The fourth hearing in the case was held at the 25th High Criminal Court of Istanbul. The journalists did not attend the session, but attorney Emine Özhasar from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) Legal Unit and Mehmet Aslan’s lawyer Ayşe Özdemir were present.
The presiding judge announced that a new indictment had been prepared against Mehmet Aslan based on the statements of a secret witness identified by the code name “K8Ç4B3L1T5.” This witness had previously testified against several journalists. The court ruled to merge the new indictment with the ongoing case.
As a result, the trial was postponed to Jan. 22, 2026, at 9:40 a.m. to allow for Mehmet Aslan’s defense statement to be heard in connection with the newly merged case.
Background
Esra Solin Dal and Mehmet Aslan, both reporters for the Mesopotamia Agency (MA), along with journalist Erdoğan Alayumat, were detained on April 23 as part of an Istanbul-based investigation. They were held in police custody for three days before being referred to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace with a request for formal arrest on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.” The journalists were released on May 21, nearly a month after their initial detention. The MLSA is providing legal defense for Erdoğan Alayumat.
