Three journalists who were arrested while covering protests in Istanbul have been released from pretrial detention, following a court decision on Thursday. The reporters — AFP photojournalist Yasin Akgül, freelance photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, and reporter Zeynep Kuray — were taken into custody earlier this week during demonstrations triggered by the detention of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
The release orders for Akgül, Kuray and Kılıç were issued on the morning of March 27, a day after the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) filed an appeal on their behalf. They are expected to be released later in the day. Akgül was also among those freed, although the exact details of his release were not immediately disclosed.
All three had been arrested on March 25 and charged with violating Turkey’s Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations, which regulates public gatherings and is frequently cited in prosecutions of journalists and protestors. The law has been criticized by rights groups for being used to suppress dissent.
The journalists were covering public protests that erupted in Istanbul following the controversial detention of İmamoğlu, a key figure in Turkey’s opposition. Similar demonstrations were also held in the western coastal city of Izmir.
Alongside Akgül, Kılıç, and Kuray, other journalists arrested in connection with the same investigation include Kurtuluş Arı, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunç, and Gökhan Kam. Their legal status remains unclear as of Thursday.
Between March 23 and 24, at least 11 journalists were detained while reporting on the protests — eight in Istanbul and three in Izmir. The detained journalists included reporters working for both national and international outlets.
On March 25, seven of the detained journalists were initially released after being brought to the Istanbul Courthouse. However, just hours later, they were referred back to court following an appeal by the prosecutor’s office, resulting in detention orders being issued that same day.
