EYLEM SONBAHAR
Züleyha Müldür, a reporter for the Etkin News Agency (ETHA), was released from pretrial detention under judicial control measures following the first hearing of her trial in Istanbul on charges of membership in a terrorist organization. The court imposed a travel ban and required her to sign in at a police station once a week.
Müldür had been arrested on Jan. 24 during a police operation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and the Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF), both leftist political groups in Turkey. She had been held in pretrial detention since her arrest.
The first hearing was held at the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court, where Müldür and two other co-defendants appeared before the court. The hearing began with identification procedures and a summary of the indictment. One of the co-defendants, Ezgi Gürbüz, denied the charges, stating that lawful political activity was being criminalized.
In her defense statement, Müldür emphasized her role as a journalist and demanded the return of her confiscated digital materials. She requested both her release and acquittal. Her attorney, Doğukan Taşdan, argued that the indictment ignored the element of intent, stating, “This indictment should have been returned. Constitutional freedoms are being treated as criminal offenses. My client is a journalist—we demand her release.”
Despite the prosecutor’s call to continue the pretrial detention of all three defendants, citing "strong suspicion of crime," the court ruled to release Müldür with judicial control conditions. The other two defendants remain in custody. The next hearing was scheduled for Sept. 18.
