A number of defendants, including journalists and cartoonists, are due to appear before judges this week in cases involving journalism and freedom of expression.
The week’s court agenda includes cases brought over social media posts and news reports, as well as proceedings related to the killing of journalist Hakan Tosun and the trial of police officers accused of assaulting lawyer Murat Çelik during a protest by the Saturday Mothers, a group that has for decades sought accountability for relatives who disappeared while in state custody in Turkey.
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
The fourth hearing in the trial of Öznur Değer, news director at JINNEWS, and Osman Akın, former managing editor of Yeni Yaşam newspaper, will be held at the Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court. The case concerns a news report about alleged torture during a July 16, 2024, raid on a house in a rural area of Nusaybin, a district of Mardin province in southeastern Turkey.
10 a.m. – The trial of journalist Abdülhalik Kaya, who is represented by the Media and Law Studies Association, or MLSA, on a charge of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” over a social media post will be heard at the Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court in Ağrı, a province in eastern Turkey. A separate hearing connected to a judicial request in the same case will also be held at 10 a.m. at the Diyadin Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:30 a.m. – The fifth hearing in the trial of LeMan magazine cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan on a charge of “insulting the president” over posts made from an X account that has been reported as not belonging to him will be held at the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance. The prosecutor has submitted a final opinion on the merits, seeking Pehlevan’s conviction and the continuation of judicial control measures imposed on him.
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026
10:30 a.m. – A hearing in the case over the fatal beating of journalist Hakan Tosun will be held at the Bakırköy 17th High Criminal Court in Istanbul. Defendants Abdurrahman Murat and Adnan Şahin are standing trial on charges of “intentional killing.” At the previous hearing, the court granted additional time for defense statements.
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026
10 a.m. – The 11th hearing in the trial of journalist Sedef Kabaş on a charge of “insulting the president” will be held at the Istanbul Anatolian 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The case was brought over Kabaş’ social media posts. The court previously ruled that, if the alleged act is found to have been established, Article 43/1 of the Turkish Penal Code, which governs successive offenses, could apply, and decided to propose consolidating the case with another case pending before the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:35 a.m. – A hearing in the trial of journalist and television host Rüstem Batum, who is represented by MLSA, will be held at the Istanbul 5th Criminal Court of First Instance. Batum is being tried on charges of “insulting the president” and “publicly inciting the public to hatred and hostility” over social media posts he made in 2016 and 2018.
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
10:30 a.m. – The second hearing in the trial of BirGün newspaper reporter İsmail Arı will be held at the Ankara 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Arı is being tried on charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “violation of confidentiality” over news reports he published.
10:30 a.m. – The fifth hearing in the trial of five police officers accused of assaulting lawyer Murat Çelik and detaining him with his hands cuffed behind his back during the Saturday Mothers’ 954th weekly demonstration at Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square on July 8, 2023, will be held at the Istanbul 76th Criminal Court of First Instance.
The defendants, Ali H., İlhan Ç., Mehmet Ç., Fatih A. and Zahir K., face charges of “exceeding the limits of the authority to use force” and “intentional injury.” The Saturday Mothers are a group of relatives and rights advocates who have held weekly gatherings in Istanbul since the 1990s to demand information and accountability over people who disappeared in state custody or under disputed circumstances.
