This week several journalism and freedom of expression trials will resume at courts, including the trial of Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) Co-Director lawyer Veysel Ok and imprisoned journalist Salih Turan, who is represented by MLSA. Below is a list of this week’s hearings:
18 March, Monday
- The trial where 24 defendants including documentary filmmaker and video activist Kazım Kızıl face “insulting the president” and “violating the law on meetings and demonstrations” charges will resume at İzmir 33rd Criminal Court of the First Instance.
19 March, Tuesday
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Third hearing of the trial where a group of Boğaziçi University students face “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” charges for protesting against another group of students who served Turkish delight to celebrate Turkey’s military operation in Afrin, Syria on 9 March 2018 will take place at İstanbul 32nd High Criminal Court.
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Sixth hearing of the trial where Evrensel daily’s former Managing Editor Çağrı Sarı faces “attack on personal rights, libel and slander” charges for reporting on Paradise Papers will take place at Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of the First Instance.
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Third hearing of the trial where journalist Ahmet Kanbal is accused of successively “making propaganda for a terrorist organization through press” for the news stories he shared on his social media account will take place at İzmir 2nd High Criminal Court.
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The trial where writer and journalist Ahmet Altan faces “insulting the president” charges for an article published on 8 May 2016 will resume at the İstanbul 30th Criminal Court of the First Instance.
20 March, Wednesday
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Second hearing of the trial where artist Ferhat Tunç faces “insulting the president” charges will be held at Büyükçekmece 14th Criminal Court of the First Instance.
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Journalist Seda Taşkın’s appeal hearing for the trial where she was charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” will take place at Erzurum Regional Court.
21 March, Thursday
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Seventh hearing of the trial where human rights activists including Amnesty Turkey’s Honorary Chair Taner Kılıç face “membership in an armed terrorist organization” and “aiding and abetting a terrorist organization without being a member” charges for attending a meeting titled “Protecting Human Rights Advocates: Digital Security” at Buyukada, Istanbul will take place at İstanbul 35th High Criminal Court.
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First hearing of the trial where journalist Salih Turan faces “making terrorist propaganda” charges for news stories that he had shared on his social media accounts will be held at İstanbul 32nd High Criminal Court. Turan is being represented by MLSA.
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Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) Co-Director lawyer Veysel Ok will appear before the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court for the First Instance for the trial where he is charged with denigrating the Turkish judicial system per Turkish Criminal Code’s notorious Article 301 because of an interview he gave. The trial, which has been dragging for almost two years, will resume after being allocated from another court due to a decision of non-jurisdiction.
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First hearing of the trial where civil society worker Aret Demirci faces “insulting the president” charges for his social media posts will take place at İstanbul 59th Criminal Court of the First Instance.
- Seventh hearing of the trial where writer Perihan Mağden and journalist İnan Ketenciler face “insulting the president” charges for an article of Mağden published in Nokta magazine in April 2016 will take place at İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court for the First Instance.
