A number of journalists will be on trial this week for having reported on a news item that frustrated the government or just for having worked in the press. Here is this week’s schedule:
6 March Tuesday
- District director goes after Van journalists for outing abuse scandal
Journalists Erhan Akbaş and İdris Yılmaz will appear before the 1st Erciş Criminal Court of First Instance. They were accused of “terror propaganda” for reporting on sexual abuse of a minor in Van Province. A complaint filed by the district education director, Erol Şimşek, initiated the charges against the two journalists whose report on the sexual abuse case at a local school resulted in an investigation into the perpetrator.
- Özgür Gündem journalists on trial
In what is known as the “main trial” in a series of trials against the Özgür Gündem newspaper -- which was shut down by Turkey in 2016 -- executives an columnist of Özgür Gündem Filiz Koçali, Aslı Erdoğan, Necmiye Alpay, Ragıp Zarakolu, Bilge Aykut, Editor-in-Chief Zana Kaya and Responsible Managing Editor Müdürü İnan Kızılkaya, former Editor-in-Chief Eren Keskin and owner Kemal Sancılı will appear before the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on charges of “running a terror organization” and “propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization.” The hearing will be at the 23rd High Criminal Court at the Çağlayan Courthouse. No suspect is imprisoned in this case.
- Academics tried for asking for peace
Several academics who signed a petition in early 2016 to call for an end to Turkey’s military operations in the country’s predominantly Kurdish populated cities will appear before the 37th High Criminal Court on 6 March and 8 March.
7 March Wednesday
- Coup trial for 28 journalists -- verdict this week
Twenty-eight journalists including Murat Aksoy, Atilla Taş, and Oğuz Usluer will be on trial at the Çağlayan Courthouse in the 25th High Criminal Court at 10:00 am on 7 March. They are being accused of participation in the media arm of the group that allegedly staged the coup attempt of July 2016, which Turkish officials refer to as “FETÖ/PDY.” A verdict is expected in this trial where only two people Murat Aksoy and Atilla Taş have European Court of Human Rights applications.
8 March Thursday
- Academics’ trials continue
Trials of Academics for Peace will continue at the 37th High Criminal Court on 8 March. The court is in Çağlayan. The hearings start at 9.30.
- DİHA reporter accused despite evidence of torture
Outside Istanbul in the Batman 2nd high Criminal Court, reporter of the shuttered pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency Şerife Oruç will be on trial on 7 March. She has been in prison for nearly two years. She is accused of membership in a terrorist organization, although the witnesses who have testified against her have changed testimony, they said their initial statements were extracted under torture.
9 March Friday
- Cumhuriyet trial where Ahmet Şık and two others are still in prison
Twenty suspects, including Cumhuriyet newspaper columnists and executives, will appear before a judge on 9 March on charges of membership of the FETÖ/PDY, the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) -- all classified as illegal organizations in Turkey. The three groups have distinctly irrelevant ideologies and worldviews.
Two Cumhuriyet journalists -- Murat Sabuncu, Ahmet Şık and Cumhuriyet Foundation Executive Akın Atalay are still imprisoned in the case.
