- Former Jin News News Director Sofya Alağaş sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison.
- Barış Pehlivan, Kürşad Oğuz, Serhan Asker, and Seda Selek, who were detained as part of the "expert investigation," were released; Suat Toktaş was arrested.
- Journalist Sultan Eylem Keleş sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison.
This week, press and freedom of expression trials continued across different provinces, and pressures on journalists remained ongoing. The MLSA Case Monitoring Unit followed 16 trials in 7 cities.
January 27, Monday
Decision awaited in fast-tracked trial of former Jin News editor Sofya Alağaş. Significant developments have emerged in the trial of Sofya Alağaş, the former news editor of Jin News, who is being prosecuted over her journalistic activities. In a surprising move, the court reversed earlier interim decisions and heard testimony from a secret witness not mentioned in the indictment. Simultaneously, the prosecutor submitted the final opinion on the case, demanding Alağaş’s conviction. Alağaş’s lawyer, Resul Temur, criticized the trial's acceleration, claiming it was politically motivated following her election as a co-mayor.
Şebnem Korur Fincancı faces trial under Article 301: "I made an assessment about torture". Professor Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, former president of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Council and board member of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), appeared in court for the second hearing of a case accusing her of "publicly insulting the Turkish nation, the Republic of Turkey, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the government of Turkey, and the judicial organs of the state." The trial was held at Istanbul’s 69th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Prosecutor seeks conviction of journalist Evrim Kepenek for 'violating confidentiality of investigation'. Journalist Evrim Kepenek, who is on trial for reporting on allegations of sexual abuse against a child, faces calls for punishment after the prosecutor argued that her actions cannot be justified as part of the public's right to access information.
Meta shifts disinformation burden to users, ending third-party fact-checking program. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, announced it will discontinue its third-party fact-checking program, starting with the U.S. This move ends an eight-year initiative to combat disinformation on its platforms by partnering with external verification organizations. Mehmet Atakan Foça, founder of the Turkish fact-checking organization teyit.org, warned this decision removes key barriers to the spread of disinformation and could allow false information to proliferate unchecked.
Journalists criticize Turkey’s disinformation law: "Any information not from the government is labeled false" Turkey’s so-called "disinformation law," widely referred to as the "censorship law" by press organizations and unions, has drawn widespread criticism for its restrictive impact on press freedoms. Enacted as Law No. 7418, the legislation introduced a new crime under Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code, criminalizing the "public dissemination of misleading information." The law, which came into effect on Oct. 18, 2022, has led to investigations against dozens of journalists, some of whom have been detained or faced repeated investigations for the same offense. Critics argue that the law is being used as a tool to suppress dissent and control the flow of information.
January 28, Tuesday
Former Jin News editor Sofya Alağaş sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison. Sofya Alağaş, former news editor of Jin News and a co-mayor of Siirt Municipality in southeastern Turkey, was sentenced to six years and three months in prison on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization." The verdict was issued during the seventh and final hearing of her trial at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court. Alağaş was prosecuted for her journalistic activities, including the editorial policies and content of Jin News.
Court postpones trial against Elvan family over alleged insult to president. The trial against Gülsüm and Sami Elvan, the parents of Berkin Elvan, on charges of “insulting the president” was postponed after a new prosecutor and judge were assigned to the case. The prosecutor requested additional time to review the case file and prepare a final opinion.
Court rejects statute of limitations claim in SADAT’s lawsuit against Evrensel newspaper The second hearing in the defamation lawsuit filed by Adnan Tanrıverdi, the founder of the International Defense Consulting Company (SADAT), against Evrensel newspaper over allegations of a violation of personal rights took place at the Bakırköy 4th Commercial Court of First Instance in Istanbul. The court rejected Evrensel’s request to dismiss the case on the grounds of the statute of limitations.
Journalists blocked from filming as press groups protest escalating crackdowns. The Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG) held a press conference in Diyarbakır to highlight increasing pressure on journalists and media organizations in Turkey. The groups noted that two journalists have been killed and 15 detained in recent months, reflecting what they described as systematic repression of press freedom, particularly targeting Kurdish journalists.
January 29, Wednesday
Press organizations denounce journalist detentions: "You cannot silence journalists!" A coalition of 10 press organizations, including the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), has condemned the increasing judicial pressure on journalists in Turkey, warning that press freedom and the public’s right to information are under severe threat.
Prosecutor in journalist Hayri Demir’s trial replaced for the sixth time. In the retrial of journalist Hayri Demir, who is being prosecuted over his journalistic activities in Syria, the prosecutor has presented the final opinion on the case. The prosecutor requested that Demir be convicted on charges of “making continuous propaganda through the press” and “membership in a terrorist organization.”
Journalist Şehriban Aslan stands trial over report on misuse of public vehicles. A Diyarbakır court heard the trial of journalist Şehriban Aslan, who is being prosecuted for reporting on the alleged misuse of government vehicles by public officials. The court postponed the case to allow for the completion of missing documents.
January 30, Thursday
BirGün newspaper fined over news report on Bilal Erdoğan. An Istanbul court has sentenced BirGün newspaper’s board chairman, İbrahim Aydın, to a judicial fine of 2,610 Turkish lira ($85) over a news report titled They called the thief a thief and got sued, following a complaint by Bilal Erdoğan, the son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Özgür Gündem solidarity trial postponed again. The retrial of Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erol Önderoğlu, and Ahmet Nesin—who were previously acquitted but faced renewed prosecution after an appeals court overturned the decision—has been postponed once again. The court is waiting for a response to a request sent abroad to collect Nesin's defense statement.
Disinformation law becomes an obstacle to corruption reporting. Since Turkey’s Disinformation Law came into effect on Oct. 18, 2022, journalists have increasingly become its primary target. Reporters told the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) that the law is being used to suppress corruption investigations, with complaints coming from various political factions—both government and opposition.
Lawyer Hediye Gökçe Baykal, who received death threats: ‘This case reflects the gender-based attacks we face’. The first hearing in the case concerning death threats against lawyer Hediye Gökçe Baykal, vice president of the Association for Children and Women First, has been held. The court decided to request files from the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on the defendant, who has also allegedly threatened other female lawyers. Speaking to MLSA, Baykal stated, “These attacks should not only be seen as targeting me personally but as a threat to the right to defense being exercised freely.”
Court denies journalist Abdurrahman Gök’s request to lift travel ban. A Turkish court has ruled to maintain the international travel ban on journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who is on trial due to his journalistic activities. The Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court decided to wait for the outcome of an ongoing investigation against him and a case currently under appeal at the Court of Cassation before reconsidering the travel restriction.
