Journalist Elif Akgül, one of four journalists detained in a series of house raids across 10 provinces in Turkey on Feb. 18, was arrested on the night of Feb. 21 by Istanbul’s 8th Criminal Judgeship of Peace. She was accused of having ties to the People's Democratic Congress (HDK), with the court citing "strong suspicion of committing a crime" as the basis for her detention.
During her questioning, Akgül repeated the statement she had given to the police. Lawyers from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) Legal Unit were also present at the hearing. In her defense statement, Akgül emphasized that she was working as a journalist, participating in civil society activities, and attending HDK meetings solely in her professional capacity. She stated that in 2015, while pursuing a master’s degree, she attended a meeting in Ankara as an independent feminist and was elected as a delegate. Denying any political affiliation, Akgül said she did not engage in any activities following the meetings and only attended a general assembly meeting once in her role as a journalist.
Akgül also challenged the evidence against her, arguing that wiretaps used in her case were unlawfully obtained between 2011 and 2014 by judges and prosecutors linked to the Fethullah Gülen movement, a group that Turkey considers a terrorist organization. She maintained that she was only a member of professional journalism associations and requested her release.
The court, citing the suspicion of a crime and a flight risk, ruled for Akgül’s arrest.
Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları Derneği (MLSA) haber alma hakkı, ifade özgürlüğü ve basın özgürlüğü alanlarında faaliyet yürüten bir sivil toplum kuruluşudur. Derneğimiz başta gazeteciler olmak üzere mesleki faaliyetleri sebebiyle yargılanan kişilere hukuki destek vermektedir.
