This week, trials concerning journalism and freedom of expression will continue with various charges.
Throughout the week, the MLSA Trial Monitoring Unit will share updates from the hearings in Turkish and English via @MLSADavaTakip.
Monday, October 14
09:05 am – The trial of eight people who were detained during a police intervention at the election campaign of Socialist Workers Party (SEP) Chairperson Güneş Gümüş, charged with “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations,” will be held at Ankara 38th Criminal Court of First Instance.
09:40 am – The first hearing of the trial against TİHV Board Member and former chair Şebnem Korur Fincancı, charged under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for “insulting the Turkish Nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Government of the Republic of Turkey, and the judicial organs of the State,” will be held at Istanbul 31st Criminal Court of First Instance.
01:05 pm – The trial against journalist Ziya Çiçekçi, charged with “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” and “praising crime and criminals,” will be held at Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court.
Tuesday, October 15
09:45 am – The first trial hearing against journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat (represented by MLSA) charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” will be held at Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court. The three journalists were detained for 24 days on April 23’s operation against Mezopotamya Agency (MA) and Yeni Yaşam newspaper employees.
09:50 am – The 11th hearing of the trial against Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Chair Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu, and writer Ahmet Nesin for their participation in the one-day symbolic editor-in-chief campaign for the Özgür Gündem newspaper will be held at Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
11:35 am – The first hearing of the trial against T24 reporter Asuman Aranca, charged with “violating the confidentiality of the investigation” due to her report titled "T24 obtains an expert report from Sinan Ateş murder case: Ülkü Ocakları Chair requested Ateş’s address!" will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
01:30 pm – The trial of 34 people detained while attempting to participate in demonstrations for the first anniversary of the Gezi Park protests, charged with “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations,” will be held at Ankara 27th Criminal Court of First Instance.
03:10 pm – The third hearing of the trial against KHK TV reporter Ahmet Erkan Yiğitsözlü, who was dismissed from Anadolu Agency via a statutory decree, charged with “membership in an armed terrorist organization” and “violating the law on the prevention of terrorism financing,” will be held at Osmaniye 2nd High Criminal Court.
Wednesday, October 16
09:00 am – The trial against former German MP Memet Kılıç, charged with “insulting the president,” represented by MLSA, will be held at Ankara 36th Criminal Court of First Instance. The case has been ongoing in Kılıç’s absence as he has lived in Germany since 2019.
Thursday, October 17
09:30 am – The 10th hearing of the trial against Taksim Solidarity spokesperson Mücella Yapıcı and her daughter Cansu Yapıcı, where three police officers (one of whom was the detention room officer at the time) are charged with “torture and ill-treatment” due to the strip search they were subjected to during the Gezi Park protests, will be held at Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court.
09:30 am – The trial of 10 people detained during a police intervention at the September 2 Festival in the 1 Mayıs neighborhood in 2022, charged with “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “making terrorist propaganda,” will be held at Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court.
10:55 am – The trial of Cumhuriyet newspaper’s former Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar, charged with “obtaining confidential information for espionage purposes” and “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization” due to news reports about National Intelligence Organization (MİT) trucks allegedly transporting weapons to Syria, will continue at Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.
11:20 am – The third hearing of the trial against Emre Orman, charged with “resisting the police” and “preventing the police from performing their duties” after being detained while covering the commemoration of the Madımak Massacre, will be held at Istanbul Anadolu 20th Criminal Court of First Instance. MLSA is representing Orman.
12:30 pm – The trial of TİHV Board Member and former chair Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, for a moral compensation case filed by the Ministry of Defense due to her remarks regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Turkish Armed Forces during military operations, will be held at Ankara 2nd Civil Court of First Instance.
01:00 pm – The 12th hearing of the trial against seven lawyers from the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), who were detained in 2019 while attempting to release sky lanterns in Beşiktaş to raise awareness for their colleagues on hunger strike in prison, will be held at Istanbul 46th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Friday, October 18
09:00 am – The first hearing of the trial against 17 people detained while trying to enter the May Day march area in Taksim, charged with “participating in an illegal meeting and demonstration without arms despite being warned to disperse,” “making propaganda for a terrorist organization,” and “praising crime and criminals,” will be held at Istanbul 24th High Criminal Court.
09:10 am – The third hearing of the trial against writer Gökhan Yavuzel, represented by MLSA, charged with “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” due to one of his writings, will be held at Şanlıurfa 4th Criminal Court of First Instance.
09:55 am – The first hearing of the trial against Diyarbakır Bar Association Chairperson Nahit Eren and board members Atilla Berk, Diyar Rüknedin Çetedir, Hatice Demir, Mehdi Özdemir, Mehmet Erdem, Ali İsmet Girgin, Öykü Çakmak Usal, Serdar Özer, Seyit Rıza Karakaş, Zuhal Sayılgan Işık, charged under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) due to a statement on the Armenian Genocide, will be held at Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court.
02:20 pm – The trial of WDR Cosmo Turkish Editor Tuncay Özdamar, who was detained at Ankara airport and held in custody for 14 hours, with a compensation lawsuit filed by the MLSA Legal Unit against the Treasury, will be held at Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court.
