This week, trials concerning journalism and freedom of expression will continue with various charges.
Throughout the week, MLSA’s Trial Monitoring Unit will share updates in Turkish and English via @MLSADavaTakip.
Monday, January 20
1:05 PM - The third hearing of the trial against journalist Furkan Karabay for "insulting the president" due to three social media posts he made in 2023 will be held at Istanbul 74th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Tuesday, January 21
10:00 AM - The trial of journalist Yüsra Batıhan for allegedly "publicly disseminating misleading information" under Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code, related to her reports on the 2023 earthquakes in Maraş, will be heard at Ankara 75th Criminal Court of First Instance.
11:25 AM - The 21st hearing of journalist-writer Ercan Aktaş’s trial under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for "insulting the Turkish nation, the state, parliament, government, and judicial bodies" will continue at Küçükçekmece 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance.
11:40 AM - The seventh hearing of the trial against journalists Kürşat Yılmaz and Görkem Kınacı for "slander" and "insult" following a complaint by Serhat Albayrak, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Turkuvaz Media Group, will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
11:20 AM - The 17th hearing of the trial against artist Ferhat Tunç for "insulting the president" due to his social media posts will be held at Büyükçekmece 14th Criminal Court of First Instance.
1:30 PM - The 29th hearing of the trial involving former ETHA editor İsminaz Temel, former ETHA reporter Havva Cuştan, EHB lawyers, and former ESP Co-Chair Özlem Gümüştaş, among others, will be held at Istanbul 27th High Criminal Court.
Wednesday, January 22
11:40 AM - The trial of five journalists and lawyers for allegedly "publicly disseminating misleading information," a case criticized as part of the so-called "Censorship Law," will begin at Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The indictment accuses lawyer İrem Çiçek, Halk TV’s Responsible Editor-in-Chief Dinçer Gökçe, Gazete Pencere’s Responsible Editor-in-Chief Nilay Can, the owner of the "militerdoktrin1" social media account Hüseyin Dicle, and Veysi Dündar for not removing the news article in question from publication.
Thursday, January 23
10:00 AM - The fourth trial hearing against 26 people charged with "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations" during a memorial event for the Amasra mining disaster will be held at Ankara 65th Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:00 AM - The 14th hearing of the retrial of journalists Ahmet Memiş, Ali Akkuş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Ünal Tanık, Yakup Çetin, and Yetkin Yıldız will be held at Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court.
1:30 PM - The 18th hearing of the trial against journalist Pınar Gayıp for "membership in a terrorist organization," following her arrest during a press statement on the killings of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin in Syria, will be held at Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court.
2:40 PM - The 33rd hearing of the KCK Press trial, involving Kurdish journalists, writers, and distributors, ongoing for 10 years, will be held at Istanbul 3rd High Criminal Court.
Friday, January 24
11:35 AM - The third hearing of the trial against journalist Evrim Kepenek for "violating the confidentiality of an investigation," related to her report on a two-year-old child's death allegedly due to sexual abuse, will be held at Büyükçekmece 9th Criminal Court of First Instance.
