July 14, 2024
Journalist Tolga Şardan faced charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “insulting state judicial bodies.” MLSA and international organizations called on the EU to protect press freedom. LGBTQ+ activist İris Mozalar was arrested for condemning racist attacks. This week saw various press freedom cases across Turkey, with continued pressures on journalists.
July 9, Tuesday
MLSA and international organizations urged the EU to protect press freedom. Several international human rights and journalism organizations, including MLSA, called on the European Commission and the European Parliament to protect journalists’ rights and freedom of expression. The joint statement called for measures such as easing the Schengen visa process for journalists and providing financial support to media organizations in Turkey.
MLSA faced censorship as access to two news articles was blocked. Access to articles published in 2020 about a defamation case against BirGün journalists and a 2021 defamation case involving President Erdoğan’s former lawyer, Mustafa Doğan İnal, was blocked on July 9. MLSA’s Legal Unit plans to appeal the access restrictions.
Journalist Tolga Şardan stated, “If there is outrage, it is not related to my report but to my arrest.” Şardan was on trial for writing about a judicial report presented by the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) to the Presidency. The prosecutor demanded Şardan be punished for “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “insulting state judicial bodies” during the first hearing at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
In the “We Can’t Make Ends Meet” protest case, 12 people were acquitted and 12 received prison sentences. In Ankara, 24 people, including journalist Öznur Değer, were tried for participating in the protest. Değer and 11 others were acquitted, while 12 were sentenced to prison.
July 10, Wednesday
The court announced the reasoned decision in the Tahir Elçi case. Diyarbakır’s 10th High Criminal Court explained the acquittal of three police officers on charges of “causing death by conscious negligence” related to the killing of former Diyarbakır Bar Association President Tahir Elçi in 2015.
Documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin, who was detained for 45 days, was awarded 25,000 TL in damages. Tekin was acquitted of “membership in a terrorist organization” after being detained for filming for her documentary Life Begins in the Dark. She will receive 25,000 TL in moral damages.
July 11, Thursday
Journalist Onur Öncü was acquitted of insulting the memory of a person mentioned by Sedat Peker. The court ruled that “the act of a journalist bringing up current news does not constitute a crime.” Öncü was charged with publicly insulting Taner Ay, referred to by Sedat Peker as an official of the “Ottoman Germany” group.
The case against Evrensel columnist İhsan Çaralan was dismissed. Çaralan was retried for participating in the “Editor-in-Chief on Duty” campaign of the now-closed Özgür Gündem newspaper. The court ruled to dismiss the case due to the expiration of the five-year probation period.
The defamation case against journalist and writer Ercan Aktaş was dismissed. The case, handled by MLSA, was dropped due to the expiration of the eight-year statute of limitations for charges of “insulting the president.”
July 12, Friday
LGBTQ+ activist İris Mozalar was arrested for condemning racist attacks. Mozalar was arrested for “inciting hatred and enmity” over a social media post criticizing racist attacks against Syrians in Kayseri. Her lawyer, Gizem Karaköçek, stated that the investigation was initiated using the "Virtual Patrol" method, which had been annulled by the Constitutional Court for being unconstitutional. “This unlawful arrest is being used as a tool to silence and oppress LGBTQ+ individuals. We seek solidarity from the public,” Karaköçek said.
