DENİZ TEKİN
The fifth hearing of the trial involving 20 journalists accused of "membership in a terrorist organization" took place at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. The case, stemming from the journalists’ work producing news and programs for international TV channels, was marked by procedural irregularities. The court ordered the Diyarbakır Police Department to provide missing search and seizure records while maintaining travel bans on the defendants.
Background of the case
The journalists, who face up to 15 years in prison, were detained after police raids on the production companies Pel Yapım, Piya Yapım, and Arî Yapım in Diyarbakır in June 2022. The raids, lasting 32 days, targeted their work for Belgium-based Sterk TV and UK-based Medya Haber TV.
The indictment, spanning 728 pages, cites the journalists’ reporting, social media posts, phone records, and international travel as "evidence" of organizational ties. Among the defendants are prominent figures such as:
- Serdar Altan, co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG)
- Sofya Alağaş, director of JINNEWS
- Mehmet Ali Ertaş, managing editor of Xwebûn newspaper
- Aziz Oruç, an editor at Mezopotamya Agency (MA)
In the first hearing held in July 2023, 15 journalists were released after 13 months in pretrial detention, though they remain under travel bans.
Highlights from the fifth hearing
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Missing search records:
Defense lawyer Resul Temur pointed out that despite the 32-day search of Arî Yapım, only one search record—covering the first day—was submitted to the court. Temur noted that police admitted to filling out other records "at their desks" rather than on-site, leading to incomplete documentation. He requested the missing eight search records. -
Equipment not returned:
Temur also criticized delays in the return of confiscated journalistic equipment, which the police had labeled "organizational evidence." He called for an expedited return of these materials. -
Travel bans:
The defense team petitioned to lift the travel bans on the defendants, arguing that they severely restrict their ability to work and live freely. The court rejected this request. -
Court decisions:
- The court ordered the Diyarbakır Police Department to submit the missing search records.
- A directive was issued to expedite the return of confiscated equipment held in judicial custody.
- The defendants' travel bans remain in place.
The trial was adjourned to May 15, 2025.
Observers present in court
The hearing drew significant attention, with representatives from MLSA’s Trial Monitoring Unit, P24, the Amsterdam Law Clinic, and the Clooney Foundation for Justice observing the proceedings.
Broader implications
The case is emblematic of the challenges facing journalists in Turkey, where reporting for international media and covering sensitive topics are frequently criminalized. Press freedom organizations continue to raise concerns over procedural flaws, the misuse of anti-terror laws, and the impact of restrictions on journalistic work.
