DENİZ TEKİN
In a well known case in Diyarbakır, Turkey, the court has decided to return the journalistic equipment of 20 journalists that had been displayed as 'crime evidence.' However, the travel bans imposed on the journalists were not lifted. The hearing, which took place on May 9, 2024, at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court, involved journalists accused of "being members of a terrorist organization" and facing up to 15 years in prison.
During the hearing, it was noted that original search and seizure records from a month-long police raid at Ari Yapım, a production company, were missing from the case file. The court requested these records urgently from the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Anti-Terror Branch.
The journalists were charged due to their work for international TV channels, covering news, and hosting discussion and cultural programs. The defendants included Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) Co-Chair Serdar Altan and journalists Ömer Çelik, Elif Öngür, Rohat (Zeynel) Bulut, Berivan Karatorak, Esmer Tünç, Servet Yiğen, Kadir Bayram, and Mehmet Şahin, among others.
Several lawyers, including MLSA's Legal Coordinator Emine Özhasar, and observers from various press organizations, attended the hearing. The prosecution reiterated their demands from the last session, and defense lawyers emphasized the lack of credibility of a key witness, Ümit Akbıyık, whose statements they argued were false and manipulative.
Witness Hamit Akbal, a security guard, testified that his police statement had been signed without his review. Akbıyık, testifying via video link, identified the journalists and gave incriminating statements.
Defense attorney Resul Temur highlighted that the seized equipment hindered the journalists' professional activities and called for its return. He also requested the lifting of travel bans, arguing that they effectively punished the journalists without a conviction.
Following a brief recess, the court ordered the return of the seized equipment but maintained the travel bans. The missing search and seizure records were requested again, with the next hearing set for November 19, 2024.
Background
On June 8, 2022, police raided the production companies Pel Yapım, Piya Yapım, and Ari Yapım in Diyarbakır, alleging their involvement with Sterk TV in Belgium and Medya Haber TV in the UK. Several journalists were detained and later charged with "being members of a terrorist organization." The case involves a comprehensive 728-page indictment against 18 journalists and media workers, based on their journalistic activities, social media posts, and other professional engagements.
During the initial hearings in July 2023, 15 journalists were released after 13 months in detention, but travel bans were imposed. Subsequent charges against Ari Yapım's owner Berivan Karatorak and cameraman Servet Yiğen were merged with this case, bringing the total number of defendants to 20. The journalists are accused of producing content for channels allegedly linked to terrorism, a charge they vehemently deny.
