In April 2025, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) monitored 40 hearings in 38 different cases related to freedom of expression in Turkey. A total of 344 individuals—including journalists, lawyers, politicians, artists, and students—stood trial. Among them were 33 journalists, 14 lawyers, and 178 individuals involved in protests, most of whom were students arrested during demonstrations in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district following the sentencing of the city’s mayor.
Saraçhane protest cases and media crackdown
The criminal cases arising from the Saraçhane protests included charges against journalists who had covered the demonstrations following the conviction of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Seven journalists were detained for a day. In April, their case was separated from the main protest file, with four of them represented by MLSA. In separate hearings, Evrensel reporter Nisa Sude Demirel and ETHA journalist Elif Bayburt also faced trial for their coverage of the protests.
Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, arrested in Istanbul in late March, appeared in court in one of two pending trials. Members of the European and Swedish parliaments attended the hearing as observers. Medin was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison for “insulting the president.” However, he remains in pretrial detention due to separate charges.
Rare accountability: Police on trial for torture
A rare case of police accountability also took place in April. MLSA observed—for the first time—the 11th hearing in the torture trial of four police officers accused of assaulting human rights lawyer Oğuzcan Ozan Kurt during his 2021 detention in Ankara. The hearing drew wide legal attention, with officials from the Ankara Bar Association and dozens of lawyers present. Armed and uniformed officers were stationed in the courtroom throughout the session.
Convictions in Eskişehir Pride trial
On April 30, the Eskişehir 16th Criminal Court of First Instance issued verdicts in the trial of 10 people prosecuted for attending the 2024 Eskişehir Pride march. Each was sentenced to five months in prison for violating Turkey’s Law No. 2911 on public assemblies, with three also convicted of “resisting a public official.” All sentences were converted to administrative fines of 15,000 Turkish lira (about $465) each.
April verdicts: 10 convictions, 5 acquittals
Of the 40 hearings observed, 15 resulted in verdicts: 10 with prison or fine sentences, five with full acquittals. Four defendants were released from pretrial detention. Among those freed were journalists Necla Demir and Velat Ekinci, who had been jailed since January.
Courts had to change venues in three trials due to inadequate facilities, and in at least six hearings, judges were observed interrupting defense statements or displaying dismissive conduct toward defense attorneys.
Acquittals:
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Sibel Hürtaş: Acquitted of insulting a police officer by the Ankara 55th Criminal Court of First Instance.
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Melek Avcı: JINNEWS journalist acquitted by the Ankara 19th High Criminal Court of “terrorist propaganda” based on news-related social media posts.
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Neşe İdil: Acquitted of “insulting religious values” and “praising crime” over two social media posts from 2023.
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Velat Ekin: Acquitted of “membership in a terrorist organization” in the first hearing of his case due to lack of evidence; released from pretrial detention.
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Alican Uludağ: Former Cumhuriyet reporter acquitted of “violating confidentiality” over a 2017 news report.
Convictions:
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Bahadır Özgür: Sentenced to 3 months and 22 days in prison—suspended—for allegedly “insulting the Turkish government” during a speech at a 2022 book fair in Mudanya.
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Gülsüm and Sami Elvan: Parents of Gezi victim Berkin Elvan sentenced to 11 months and 20 days and 1 year 2 months 17 days, respectively, for “insulting the president” during a public statement.
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Hayri Demir: Journalist sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison for “terrorist propaganda,” based on stored media files and social media posts.
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İlyas Salman: Veteran actor fined 7,000 lira for “insulting the president” in a 2022 interview with BirGünnewspaper.
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Zafer Party figures: Süha Çardaklı and Serkan Kafkas each received 1 year 11 months and 12 days in prison for “inciting hatred and enmity” over anti-refugee social media posts. Journalists Eray Ertürk and Batuhan Çolak were acquitted in the same case.
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Diyarbakır Newroz case: Five individuals were sentenced to 5 months each for violating the law on public assemblies. One, Ramazan Kaval, received an additional 6 years and 3 months for “membership in a terrorist organization.”
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Özlem Gürses: Journalist sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison for “publicly insulting the military” over remarks made on her YouTube channel.
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Joakim Medin: In one of two trials, the Swedish journalist received 11 months and 20 days for “insulting the president.” Despite the verdict including a release, he remains jailed on other charges.
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Furkan Karabay: Journalist sentenced to a total of 2 years, 1 month and 10 days for “insulting the president” and “defamation” over comments regarding President Erdoğan and his family.
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Necla Demir: Journalist sentenced to 1 year and 13 months for “aiding a terrorist organization.” She was released with a travel ban.
Trial monitoring conditions
Observers and journalists were largely able to enter courtrooms without obstruction, but in some hearings, police presence, cramped courtrooms, and restrictions on defense statements raised concerns about the fairness of proceedings.
