DENİZ TEKİN
Journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who was detained for 225 days, has learned of a new investigation against him during his ongoing trial. Gök, an editor for the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), faces charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" and "making terrorist propaganda." The fifth hearing in the case was held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court.
Journalist Gök attended the hearing with his lawyers Resul Temur and Mehmet Emin Aktar, alongside observers including Dicle Müftüoğlu, co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG); Emma Sinclair-Webb, a researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW) in Turkey; and representatives from various press and human rights organizations.
Gök: “The travel ban feels like imprisonment”
During the hearing, Gök expressed frustration over his inability to work as a journalist due to a travel ban imposed against him:
"I have been working in conflict zones for many years. Due to the travel ban, I have not been able to cover ongoing wars and conflicts. This ban makes me feel like I am still imprisoned. I request its removal."
Lawyer Mehmet Emin Aktar reiterated the request, arguing that the travel ban prevents Gök from continuing his profession. Resul Temur, Gök’s other lawyer, pointed out that the testimony of an informant, Ümit Akbıyık, was obtained without a lawyer present, making it an unreliable basis for any conviction.
New investigation and case developments
The court, following the prosecutor’s recommendation, decided to uphold the travel ban. The court also ruled to drop the testimony of a secret witness and requested documentation related to a new investigation file opened against Gök in 2024. The next hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2025.
Case background
Gök was arrested on April 25, 2024, alongside fellow journalists Mehmet Şah Oruç, Mikail Barut, and Beritan Canözer during a raid in Diyarbakır. Several other journalists were detained or placed under judicial control. Canözer was released in June 2024, while Gök remains on trial.
The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged Gök with "membership in a terrorist organization" and "making terrorist propaganda," citing various materials as evidence. These include news articles published by Mezopotamya Agency, book reviews, social media posts, his library collection, and phone conversations with other journalists. Even Gök’s insurance registration with the agency and a letter to the then-Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül advocating for a prisoner’s release are listed as evidence.
Among the books presented as incriminating evidence is Kadri Gürsel’s "Dağdakiler: Bagok’tan Gabar’a 26 Gün" (The Ones in the Mountains: 26 Days from Bagok to Gabar).
