This week, multiple court hearings involving journalists and free expression are taking place across Turkey, reflecting the ongoing pressure on independent media and writers. Among the most closely watched cases are the trial of LeMancartoonist Doğan Pehlevan, who was recently released from pretrial detention, as well as hearings involving investigative journalist Tolga Şardan and the authors of Metastaz 2: Cendere.
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2024
9:30 a.m. – Ağrı: The 10th hearing in the trial of journalist Abdulhalik Kaya will be held at the Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court. Kaya is being prosecuted over his social media posts. His defense is being led by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a legal group known for defending press freedom cases.
9:30 a.m. – Istanbul: Doğan Pehlevan, a cartoonist for the satirical magazine LeMan, will appear in court for the first time in a separate case where he is charged with “insulting the president.” Pehlevan remains in custody under this case, even after being released last week from another case concerning a cartoon that allegedly depicted the Prophet Muhammad. The hearing will take place at the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance.
9:40 a.m. – Mersin: Journalist Vedat Örüç will attend the third hearing of his trial at the Mersin 6th High Criminal Court. Örüç is charged with membership in a terrorist organization due to his journalistic work. MLSA is also providing his legal defense.
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2024
9:25 a.m. – Elazığ: Journalist Baransel Ağca is set to appear before the Elazığ 8th Criminal Court of First Instance on charges of “unlawfully disseminating personal data.” The case stems from his social media post in which he shared the autopsy report of journalism student Yeldana Kaharman.
10:10 a.m. – Batman: The trial of journalist Mehmet Üçar on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” will continue at the Batman 2nd High Criminal Court. Üçar is being prosecuted over his reporting for Yeni Özgür Politika and PolitikArt, both publications based in Europe and known for their coverage of Kurdish issues.
10:30 a.m. – Istanbul: Journalist Hayko Bağdat will appear before the Istanbul 55th Criminal Court of First Instance for a retrial after Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled that his freedom of expression was violated. Bağdat had previously been fined TL 1,740 for “insulting” Adnan Bali, the CEO of İşbank, in a social media post. MLSA is handling his defense.
10:35 a.m. – Istanbul: The fourth hearing in the trial of journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat—represented by MLSA—will be held at the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court. They face charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
11:15 a.m. – Istanbul: A group of 12 people, including attorney Seda Şaraldı from the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), will face trial at the Istanbul 32nd High Criminal Court. The defendants are accused of belonging to a terrorist organization.
2:00 p.m. – Istanbul: T24 columnist Tolga Şardan will face trial at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance over an article published on Oct. 31, 2023. Şardan is accused of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “openly insulting state judicial institutions.”
2:30 p.m. – Istanbul: A group of prominent journalists—Barış Terkoğlu, Barış Pehlivan, Can Bursalı, Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Fatih Portakal, Can Özçelik, and Ayşenur Arslan—will appear before the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. They are charged with “insult” and “defamation” over content in their book Metastaz 2: Cendere. The case was brought following a complaint by Mustafa Doğan İnal, a former lawyer for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The court has requested that the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office clarify whether it has examined audio recordings alleged to contain evidence of bribery in the judiciary, which are central to the claims made in the book.
