This week, journalists, writers, activists, and students will appear before judges due to their activities related to freedom of expression, the right to report news, and publishing efforts that consider public interest. In the trials to be held in Diyarbakır, Istanbul, and Bitlis, journalists’ social media posts, participation in protests, and the news they produced are being considered as criminal evidence. Despite the European Court of Human Rights’ violation rulings, the continuation of trials with detention and the pressures on press freedom are once again being brought into courtrooms.
Monday, January 19, 2026
09:40 – The second hearing of the case filed against former Co-Chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş, due to 7 separate speeches he gave in 2016, will be held at Diyarbakır 18th Criminal Court of First Instance. Demirtaş is being tried on five separate charges including “Publicly Insulting the State of the Republic of Turkey, its Government, Judicial Organs, Police and Military Institutions” and “Inciting the Public to Hatred and Hostility.”
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
09:20 – The eighth hearing of the trial of 19 journalists and press workers charged with “membership in an organization” and “organization propaganda” as part of an investigation based in Diyarbakır will be held at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Among the defendants are journalists Serdar Altan, Mehmet Ali Ertaş, Aziz Oruç, Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Ömer Çelik, Mazlum Doğan Güler, İbrahim Koyuncu, Neşe Toprak, Elif Üngür, Abdurrahman Öncü, Mehmet Şahin, Lezgin Akdeniz, Suat Doğuhan, Ramazan Geciken, Esmer Tunç, Mehmet Yalçın, Kadir Bayram and press workers Remziye Temel, Berivan Karatorak, Servet Yiğen. MLSA is providing legal defense for Aziz Oruç in the case.
09:35 – The eighth hearing of the case against journalist Mehmet Şah Oruç at Bitlis 2nd High Criminal Court on charges of “membership in an organization” and “organization propaganda” will be held. The case had been postponed due to additional investigations regarding HTS records.
10:25 – The third hearing of the case against journalist Buse Söğütlü and four others, who were detained while covering the 21st Feminist Night March in 2023, will be held at Istanbul 10th Criminal Court of First Instance. The defendants are accused of “violating Law No. 2911,” “insult,” and “resisting to prevent duty.”
10:45 – The second hearing of the case filed against journalist Elif Akgül and politician Mehmet Saltoğlu on the charge of “membership in an organization” will be held at Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court. In the previous hearing, the defense could not be prepared due to the late uploading of the prosecutor’s opinion, and the case was postponed. MLSA is providing legal defense for Akgül.
14:15 – A new hearing of the case filed against journalist Barış Terkoğlu on the charge of “slander” for accusing then-Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor İrfan Uçar of unlawful interference in his columns will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The previous hearing was held only as an “open-close” session due to the judge being on leave.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
09:25 – The case in which MLSA is providing legal defense for İdris Yılmaz, who is being tried for insult at Erciş 1st Criminal Court of First Instance after a reversal decision by the Court of Cassation, is continuing. İdris Yılmaz is attending the hearing via Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS) from the courtroom of Istanbul 47th Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:00 – The twelfth hearing of the “dissolution” case filed against the Tarlabaşı Community Support Association will be held at Istanbul 18th Civil Court of First Instance. The case had been postponed due to waiting for the outcome of the criminal case ongoing at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. In the previous hearing, observers and journalists were not allowed into the courtroom.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
09:38 – The fifth hearing of the case filed against journalists Mehmet Aslan, Esra Solin Dal, and Erdoğan Alayumat — who is represented by MLSA — on the charge of “membership in an organization” will be held at Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court. It had been decided that a new indictment prepared against Mehmet Aslan would be merged with the case file.
09:50 – The fifth hearing of the case filed against journalists Timur Soykan, Barış Pehlivan, Şule Aydın, and Murat Ağırel over their statements in the “Kayda Geçsin” program on charges such as “spreading misleading information” and “violation of confidentiality” will be held at Bakırköy 34th Criminal Court of First Instance. Soykan and Ağırel are also being charged with “publicly insulting religious values adopted by a segment of the population.”
10:05 – The eleventh hearing of the case in which journalist Abdullah Kaya is being tried on charges of “membership in an organization” and “making propaganda for an organization” will be held at Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court. MLSA is providing his legal defense.
Friday, January 23, 2026
10:00 – The third hearing of the “insulting the President” case filed against seven people, including Ahmet Bulut, Abdurrahman Şanda, Ahmet Fatih Demir, Ahmet Yılmaz, Göksu Kökoğlu, and Irmak Gülbaz, due to slogans chanted at the Saraçhane rally, will be held at Istanbul 19th Criminal Court of First Instance. The defendants had requested time to submit their written defenses in response to the prosecutor’s opinion.
