This week several journalism and freedom of expression trials will resume at courts. Below is a list of this week’s hearings:
21 May Tuesday
- Fourteenth hearing of the trial where since shuttered Özgür Gündem daily’s administrators and staff (Co Editors-in-Chief Eren Keskin and Hüseyin Aykol, Managing Editor Reyhan Çapan, columnists Filiz Koçali, Ayşe Berktay, Nuray Özdoğan, Celalettin Can, Ayşe Batumlu, Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Bülent Alp, Cemal Bozkurt, Çetin Ulu, Emrullah Kurcan, Ruhat Kaya, Serbest Zan,Tahir Temel, Enver Baysal, Ergin Atabey, Hasan Başak, Hüseyin Güçlü, İhsan Yorulmaz, Muzaffer Ayata) face “praising an offense or an offender,” “provoking commitment of a crime,” and “making terrorist propaganda” charges will take place at Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.
- First hearing of the trial where journalist Ahmet Altan faces “insulting a public officer” charges based on a column he wrote in 2010 titled “The big war has started” which was published in Taraf daily will be held at Anadolu 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance located in Kartal, Istanbul. Although the prosecution was deferred in 2010, the case was reopened last year following Altan’s sentence.
23 May Thursday
- Tenth hearing of the trial where Academics for Peace signatories Esra Mungan, Meral Camcı, Muzaffer Kaya and Kıvanç Ersoy face “making terrorist propaganda” charges will take place at Istanbul 13rd High Criminal Court. This was the first case that was opened against the Academics for Peace petition signatories and the defendants were arrested for a period.
- Ninth hearing of the trial where 27 defendants including journalist and translator Meşale Tolu face “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorist propaganda” charges will take place at Istanbul 29th High Criminal Court.
