This week, hearings for cases concerning journalism and freedom of expression, filed on various charges, are scheduled to take place.
This week, the hearings of journalism and freedom of expression cases filed on various charges will be held.
Dicle Fırat Journalists' Association (DFG) co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu and Mezopotamya Agency (MA) editor Sedat Yılmaz, who were detained in Diyarbakır on April 29 last year as part of an Ankara-based operation, will face the judge again this week. Yılmaz was released after 230 days of detention in the first hearing of the case on December 14, while Müftüoğlu, who was not released, has been detained for more than 300 days.
The first hearing of the trial filed against Mothers/People for the 950th week of protests in Galatasaray will be held this week. 20 relatives of the disappeared are on trial.
Updates on these hearings will be shared by the MLSA Trial Monitoring Unit on @MLSADavaTakip in Turkish and English.
27 February, Tuesday
- 09.15 – The trial against journalist Abdullah Kaya, defended by MLSA, on charges of "illegal organization membership and aiding an illegal organization" will continue at Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court.
- 09.30 - The first hearing of the case filed against 20 relatives of the disappeared, accused of "violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations," is scheduled to take place. This is in connection with the 950th weekly demonstration of the Saturday Mothers/People. The hearing will be held at the Istanbul 39th Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 10.00 - The fifth hearing of the case filed against Cumhuriyet columnist Barış Pehlivan and Ozan Alper Yurtoğlu, the editor-in-chief of the daily Cumhuriyet, due to "insulting the president" and "insulting a public official" will be held at Istanbul 15th Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 10.11 - The trial filed against ETHA editor Nadiye Gürbüz for "organization membership, organization propaganda" will continue at Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court. Gürbüz was imprisoned for five and a half months within the scope of this case.
- 10.30 – The ninth hearing of the case against Die Welt reporter Deniz Yücel, defended by MLSA, with the allegations of "insulting the president" and "insulting the state" (Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code) will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 11.00 - The case filed against İHD Co-Chair Eren Keskin and İHD Commission Against Racism and Discrimination member Güllistan Yarkın due to "insulting the state" (Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code) for the commemoration organized by the Human Rights Association (İHD) on the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in 2021, will continue at Istanbul 51st Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 11.30 - The seventh hearing of the trial filed against journalist Yağmur Kaya, defended by MLSA, due to "targeting people who took part in the fight against terrorism" through her interview with IHD Co-Chair Eren Keskin, will be held at Aydın 2nd Assize Court.
28 February, Wednesday
- 10.00 - The retrial case of Erdem Gül on the allegation of "aiding a terrorist organization" due to the MİT TIRs news published in Cumhuriyet newspaper will continue at Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.
29 February, Thursday
- 09.20 - The second hearing of the case filed against former Diyarbakır Bar Association President and lawyer Mehmet Emin Aktar for "targeting people who took part in the fight against terrorism" will be held at Diyarbakır 5th Criminal Court of First Instance. MLSA is supporting Müftüoğlu's defense.
- 09.20 – The second hearing of the case against journalist Sedat Yılmaz, defended by MLSA, on charges of "establishing and leading an illegal organization" and "membership in an illegal organization" will be held at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Yılmaz had been under arrest for 230 days due to this case.
- 10.45 - Dicle Müftüoğlu, Co-Chair of DFG, who has been under arrest for more than 300 days due to her journalistic activities, is on trial for "establishing and leading an illegal organization" and "membership in an illegal organization." The third hearing of the case will be held at Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court.
- 09.45 – The lawsuit filed against journalist Baransel Ağca due to "slander" will continue at Elazığ 8th Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 14.00 – The eighth hearing of the case against journalists Can Bursalı, Barış Terkoğlu, and Nevzat Çiçek on the allegations of "insult" and "slander" based on the complaint of President Erdoğan's former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. In the last hearing, the number of defendants increased to five as the cases against journalists Doğan Akın and Gökmen Karadağ were merged with this case.
- 14:30 - The second hearing of the lawsuit filed against journalist Furkan Karabay due to "slander" and "insult" following the complaint of President Erdoğan's former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
1 March, Friday,
- 09.00 – The second hearing of the case against 18 people who were detained for participating in the '3rd Eskişehir Pride March' due to "violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations" will be held at Eskişehir 4th Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 11.00 - The retrial of the case against 18 people who were detained in Istanbul for participating in May 1 Workers' and Labourers' Day in 2021, on the grounds of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911" will continue at Istanbul 56th Criminal Court of First Instance after the case was reversed on appeal.
