- Tar, Yükler, and Nazlım, who were detained while expressing solidarity with their imprisoned colleagues, were acquitted.
- Prof. Dr. Cenap Ekinci, was acquitted and released at the first hearing.
- Furkan Karabay was fined 4500 Turkish lira for 'insulting judicial authorities.'
This week, press and freedom of expression trials continued across various provinces, and pressure on journalists persisted. The MLSA Case Monitoring Unit followed 20 cases in 7 cities.
January 7, Tuesday
Journalists detained in Ankara while trying to express solidarity with their detained colleagues were acquitted. Journalists Deniz Nazlım, Sibel Yükler, and Yıldız Tar, who were detained during a press statement planned in Ankara for journalists arrested in Diyarbakır, were acquitted.
Prof. Dr. Cenap Ekinci, who had been in detention for 35 days, was acquitted and released. Prof. Dr. Cenap Ekinci, who had been in detention for 35 days due to his posts on Syria, was acquitted and released. Ekinci said, "As a doctor who has defended peace and served my region for years, it is a great disgrace to be brought to the courtroom in handcuffs!”
The eight-year-long G20 protest case was postponed again. The court hearing for 17 defendants, including journalists Eylem Sonbahar, Sema Karakurt, and Metin Cihan, who were detained while following the protests against the G20 Summit in Antalya, was postponed as the court separated the file of one person whose defense had not been heard.
Furkan Karabay was fined 4500 lira for ‘insulting judicial authorities.’ In the case where journalist Furkan Karabay was tried for 'insulting the judicial authorities,' the court sentenced him to 6 months of imprisonment under TCK 301/1, the article regulating the offense of ‘publicly insulting judicial authorities.’ The sentence was later reduced to 5 months for mitigating factors, which was then converted into a fine of 4500 TL.
The anticipated expert report was submitted to the court; the May Day case was postponed. The second hearing for the case involving 12 individuals detained during house raids following the May Day protests in Istanbul, where participants attempted to march from Saraçhane to Taksim, was held at Istanbul’s 25th Criminal Court of First Instance. The charges include 'resisting to prevent duty,' 'participating in illegal meetings and marches without arms despite a warning,' 'intentional injury,' and 'damaging public property.'
January 8, Wednesday
Court orders forced appearance for two individuals protesting Red Crescent tent sales. In the case of 87 people who protested Kızılay selling tents instead of providing them to earthquake survivors, the court issued a forced detention decision for two individuals whose defenses had not been heard.
