This week, journalists, authors, attorneys, artists, and human rights defenders will appear before courts on various charges. Proceedings will continue against numerous journalists and freedom of expression advocates facing charges including "membership in an armed organization," "defamation," "slander," "espionage," "dissemination of terrorist propaganda," and "violation of public morals."
Monday, May 11, 2026
10:00 – The first hearing in the case of Merdan Yanardağ, founder and editor-in-chief of Tele 1, who has been in pretrial detention since October 26, 2025, on charges of "political espionage," will be held at the Marmara Open Prison Campus Courtroom before Istanbul's 25th Heavy Criminal Court.
10:00 – The 8th hearing in the retrial of former executives of the shuttered Taraf newspaper — Ahmet Altan, Yasemin Çongar, Yıldıray Oğur — and correspondent Mehmet Baransu on charges of "unauthorized use and fraudulent acquisition of documents relating to state security" and "disclosure and procurement of classified documents relating to state security" will be held at Istanbul Anatolian 2nd Heavy Criminal Court.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
14:10 – The second hearing in the case against Koray Kesik, director of photography of the Bakur documentary — whose defense is undertaken by MLSA — on charges of "dissemination of terrorist propaganda," will be held at Batman 2nd Heavy Criminal Court.
09:40 – The first hearing in the case against Defne Güzel, Chair of the Board of the May 17 Association, on charges of violation of the Law on Associations on grounds of "violation of public morals" — stemming from a book and exhibition catalog published by the association — will be held at Ankara 74th Court of First Instance for Criminal Matters. The indictment seeks a custodial sentence of one to three years and deprivation of electoral rights.
10:00 – The 9th hearing in the case against attorney Necat Çiçek on charges of "membership in an armed organization" will be held at Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Criminal Court.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
10:00 – The first hearing in the case against 25 individuals — including Mezopotamya Agency (MA) correspondent Zeynep Durgut, JINNEWS correspondent Derya Ren, and Ajasa Welat correspondent Mahmut Altıntaş — who were detained at the October 15, 2024 "No to War, Peace Now" action organized by the Mothers for Peace in Şırnak Silopi, on charges of "resisting a public officer to prevent the performance of duty" and "participating unarmed in an unlawful assembly and failing to disperse upon warning," will be held at Silopi Court of First Instance for Criminal Matters.
10:15 – The 14th hearing in the defamation lawsuit filed by Turkuvaz Media Group Board Chairman Serhat Albayrak seeking TRY 200,000 in damages against academic and author Ceren Sözeri and Evrensel newspaper will be held at Istanbul 2nd Commercial Court of First Instance.
10:50 – The hearing in the case against former German parliamentarian Mehmet Kılıç — whose defense is undertaken by MLSA — on charges of "insulting the President of the Republic," arising from an interview published on the ABC newspaper website on July 12, 2017, will be held at Ankara 36th Court of First Instance for Criminal Matters.
11:18 – The hearing in the case against journalist Rüstem Batum — whose defense is undertaken by MLSA — on charges of "insulting the President of the Republic" will be held at Istanbul 60th Court of First Instance for Criminal Matters.
Thursday, May 14, 2026
09:40 – The hearing in the case against artist Ferhat Tunç on charges of "membership in an armed organization" and "dissemination of terrorist propaganda" will be held at Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Criminal Court.
11:50 – The 4th hearing in the case against ETHA correspondents Züleyha Müldür, Ezgi Gürbüz, and Simay Ada Kart on charges of "membership in an armed organization" and "dissemination of terrorist propaganda" will be held at Istanbul 14th Heavy Criminal Court. The case file includes anonymous witness testimony and institutional membership records as evidentiary materials. At the previous hearing, the presiding panel's use of the informal second-person singular when addressing one of the defendants drew attention.
09:30 – The hearing in the case against journalist Furkan Karabay on charges of "insult" and "slander" — filed upon the complaint of Bilal Erdoğan — will be held at Istanbul 47th Court of First Instance for Criminal Matters.
14:15 – The hearing in the case against journalist Barış Terkoğlu on charges of "slander," arising from his February 10, 2025 column titled "The Smell Coming from the Kartalkaya File," will be held at Istanbul 2nd Court of First Instance for Criminal Matters.
14:30 – The 10th hearing in the case against journalist Barış Terkoğlu on charges of "insulting a public officer," filed upon the complaint of former Istanbul Regional Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu, will be held at Istanbul 2nd Court of First Instance for Criminal Matters. The court had previously decided to await the outcome of a related case pending before the 5th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation.
– The hearing in the case against journalist Reyhan Hacıoğlu on charges of "membership in an armed organization" will be held at Van 2nd Heavy Criminal Court.
