This week, various cases involving journalism and freedom of expression charges will continue to be heard.
Throughout the week, the MLSA Trial Monitoring Unit will share updates on trial developments in Turkish and English via @MLSADavaTakip.
June 25, Tuesday
09:15 – The 28th hearing of the trial against Şerife Oruç (Sonya Bayık), a reporter for the now-closed Dicle News Agency (DİHA), on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" will be held at Batman 2nd High Criminal Court.
09:30 – The retrial of journalist İsmail Eskin on charges of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" will begin at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court following a reversal by the Court of Cassation.
09:45 – The trial of journalist Abdullah Kaya, defended by MLSA, on charges of "aiding a terrorist organization" and "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" will continue at Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court.
09:45 – The 13th trial hearing against artist Ferhat Tunç on "membership in a terrorist organization" and "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" will be held at Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court.
10:00 – The Kobani case against Hüda Kaya, Serpil Kemalbay, Fatma Kurtulan, Garo Paylan, and Pero Dündar, which began after their parliamentary immunities were lifted, will be heard at Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court. Kaya is being tried while in detention.
11:00 – The sixth hearing of the trial against Sezgin Kartal, a reporter for Karşı Mahalle, on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" will be held at Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court.
12:00 – The second hearing of the trial against Furkan Karabay on charges of "insult" and "defamation" following a complaint by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's son Bilal Erdoğan will be held at Istanbul 47th Criminal Court of First Instance.
12:10 – The sixth trial hearing against journalist Zeynep Kuray and 10 others on charges of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911" will be held at Istanbul 39th Criminal Court of First Instance.
June 26, Wednesday
09:30 – The fifth hearing of the closure case against the Migration and Monitoring Association (GÖÇİZDER), which works to improve social solidarity among forcibly displaced groups and advocate for humane living conditions for the victims, will be held at Bakırköy 15th Civil Court of First Instance.
10:00 – The 20th hearing of the trial against journalists Philip Pendlebury and Jake Hanrahan, who were detained while filming a documentary for Vice News in Turkey and subsequently deported, on charges of "aiding a terrorist organization" will be held at Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court.
10:05 – The trial of journalist Onu Öncü, defended by MLSA, on charges of "publicly insulting the memory of a person" following his social media post about the death of Taner Ay, mentioned in Sedat Peker's revelations, will be held at Ankara 7th Criminal Court of First Instance.
14:00 – The 11th hearing of the trial against 24 people, including JinNews reporter Öznur Değer, who were detained during the "We Can't Make Ends Meet" protest, on charges of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911" and "resisting to prevent the fulfillment of duty" will be held at Ankara 18th Criminal Court of First Instance.
June 27, Thursday
09:15 – The 14th hearing of the trial against journalist Hayko Bağdat, defended by MLSA, on charges of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" will be held at Istanbul 28th High Criminal Court.
09:35 – The third hearing of the trial against Ali Duran Topuz, Chief Editor of Artı Gerçek, on charges of "targeting" the prosecutor investigating 18 journalists in Diyarbakır and the magistrate who ordered their arrest, following the publication of a news story about their reassignment, will be held at Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court.
09:45 – The second hearing of the trial against journalist Zeynep Durgut and 17 women on charges of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911" after being detained while following a statement for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women will be held at Şırnak Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:00 – The fourth hearing of the trial against the bodyguard of Elazığ Mayor Şahin Şerifoğulları, Ö.F.T., on charges of "simple assault" against journalist Ardıl Batmaz while covering a story will be held at Elazığ 5th Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:20 – The trial against Hüseyin Aykol, Zana Kaya, former responsible editor of the now-closed Özgür Gündem newspaper, and politician Hatip Dicle on charges of "publicly insulting the Turkish Nation, the Republic of Turkey, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Government of Turkey, and the judiciary organs of the State" will continue at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:50 – The trial against Ramazan Yurttapan, Responsible Editor of Democratic Modernity magazine, editor Haydar Ergül, and writers Cihan Doğan, Musa Şanak, and Zülal Nazan Üstündağ on charges of "publicly insulting the Turkish Nation, the Republic of Turkey, and state institutions and organs" in the magazine's 37th issue will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
11:00 – The second hearing of the trial against journalist Elif Akgül, defended by MLSA, on charges of "continuous terrorist propaganda" based on her social media posts from five years ago will be held at Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
11:00 – The second hearing of the trial against eight women detained during a "Women's University" protest on charges of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911" will be held at Ankara 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
13:15 – The ninth hearing of the trial against journalist Deniz Yücel, defended by MLSA, on charges of "insulting the President," "publicly insulting the Turkish Nation, the Republic of Turkey, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Government of Turkey, and the judiciary organs of the State" will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
13:30 – The trial against 72 students detained during a protest in support of Berke Gök and Perit Özen, who have been imprisoned for 94 days following a complaint by the appointed rector of Boğaziçi University, Mehmet Naci İnci, on charges of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911" will continue at Istanbul 27th Criminal Court of First Instance. The MLSA Legal Unit is among the defense team for the students.
June 28, Friday
09:05 – The trial of the financial and moral compensation lawsuit against the Ministry of Finance, filed by MLSA Legal Unit on behalf of journalist İrfan Uçar, will be held at Gaziantep 1st High Criminal Court. The lawsuit concerns an unjustified search warrant executed at Uçar’s home, the seizure of his materials, and his subsequent placement under judicial control.
09:35 – The fourth hearing of the trial against former Diyarbakır Bar Association President Mehmet Emin Aktar on charges of "targeting" a prosecutor will be held at Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court.
10:55 – The 13th trial hearing against artist Ferhat Tunç on charges of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" will be held at Istanbul 37th High Criminal Court.
10:05 – The second hearing of the trial against TİP Adana Provincial Administrator Berk Alıcı following a complaint by Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü will be held at Istanbul Anatolian 61st Criminal Court of First Instance.
14:00 – The third hearing of the retrial of sociologist-writer Pınar Selek in the Egyptian Bazaar bombing case following a reversal by the Court of Cassation will be held at Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court.
