June 27, 2024
The trial of journalist Ali Duran Topuz in Diyarbakır, where he faces charges of "targeting" individuals, has been postponed for approximately six months. The prosecutor requested additional time to prepare their final opinion, and the court granted this request.
The third hearing of the case, where Topuz, the editor-in-chief of Artı Gerçek, is accused of "targeting individuals involved in anti-terror efforts," was held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court. The charges stem from a news report about the reassignment of a prosecutor and a Criminal Judgeship of Peace judge involved in the investigation and arrest of 18 journalists in Diyarbakır. Topuz did not attend the hearing, but his lawyers, Mehmet Emin Aktar and Mahsuni Karaman, were present.
In the previous hearing, the prosecutor had requested the case file to prepare the final opinion. During this session, the prosecutor asked for more time to finalize this opinion. Topuz’s lawyers stated that they would present their defense statements after the prosecutor's opinion is submitted. Accepting the prosecutor’s request, the court adjourned the trial to November 7, 2024.
Background on the case
The case revolves around a report published by Artı Gerçek regarding the reassignment of Prosecutor N.K. and Judge Y.E.K., who were responsible for the investigation and subsequent arrest orders for 18 journalists in Diyarbakır on June 16, 2022. The report, titled "Prosecutor investigating journalists and judge ordering their arrest reassigned," was published following a decision by the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) on June 19, 2020, to transfer these officials to different provinces.
The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office charged Topuz under Article 6/1 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK), which criminalizes "targeting individuals involved in anti-terror efforts," and sought a prison sentence of one to three years. The indictment noted that the news report mentioned Prosecutor N.K.’s position in the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau, thereby allegedly revealing his location and role.
During the investigation phase, Topuz denied the accusations in his statement. The indictment claimed that there was "sufficient evidence" to support the charges against him.
