MLSA has published its 2023 Annual Report, showcasing the organization's wide-ranging legal support and advocacy activities. The MLSA Legal Unit provided support to nearly 200 clients, while the Trial Monitoring Unit released Turkey's most comprehensive trial monitoring report.
In 2023, MLSA continued its international advocacy efforts and expanded its capacity-building training programs, including workshops to help civil society organizations comply with new association regulations.
Largest free legal support program in Turkey: MLSA Legal Unit
One of Turkey's largest free legal support programs, the MLSA Legal Unit, continued to provide free legal aid to nearly 200 clients, primarily journalists. The unit also launched strategic litigation campaigns for freedom of expression. Notably, they filed a criminal complaint against the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) and operators who restricted internet access during the earthquake. They also filed a lawsuit concerning the leak of e-government information of over 100 million people, which drew significant public attention.
Most of the unit's clients are journalists, while others include civil society workers, human rights defenders, lawyers, and writers. In 2023, the MLSA Legal Unit represented clients in 76 hearings across seven different cities, with 54 hearings in Istanbul, four in Ankara, and three in Izmir. Additionally, MLSA lawyers attended eight hearings in Diyarbakır, five in Şanlıurfa, and one each in Ağrı and Bitlis.
Turkey’s largest trial monitoring program: Journalism and freedom of expression case monitoring
Since its inception in 2018, MLSA's "Journalism and Freedom of Expression Case Monitoring Program" has monitored over 2,500 hearings. The 2023 Freedom of Expression Case Monitoring Report, which includes data from over 400 cases tracked in 2023, was released in December.
Ongoing international advocacy efforts in 2023
In 2023, MLSA maintained its advocacy efforts with international bodies, particularly the Council of Europe, informing them about issues concerning internet freedom, freedom of expression, and artistic freedom in Turkey.
Capacity-building workshops, panels, and training sessions
Throughout the year, MLSA continued its capacity-building efforts for lawyers, human rights defenders, and journalists. As part of the "Civil Society Capacity Development Program," initiated at the end of 2022, MLSA conducted training sessions for civil society organizations. The organization also released the sixth issue of gazeteMLSA, a rights-based journalism program for young journalists, in 2023.
Two workshops titled "Law for Journalists" were held in Eskişehir and Diyarbakır, while a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) workshop for lawyers was conducted in Batman. These training sessions received significant interest and participation.
