This week several journalists, including academic Özlem Beyarslan defended by Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) will appear before judges. Below is a list of this week’s journalism and free speech trials:
January 28, Monday
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Hearing of academics Esra Mungan, Meral Camcı, Muzaffer Kaya and Kıvanç Ersoy will be held at İstanbul 13. High Criminal Court at 10:00 AM. Academics are charged with "terrorist propaganda" due to their participation in the peace petition titled "We will not be a party to this crime" criticizing the state’s military involvement in the predominantly Kurdish populated cities. The petition was launched by Academics for Peace Initiative.
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Erol Önderoğlu, Şebnem Korur-Fi̇ncanci and Ahmet Nesi̇n will appear before İstanbul 13. High Criminal Court at 11:30 AM, on “terrorist propaganda” charges due to their participation in the “Edi̇tors-i̇n-Chi̇ef-on-Watch” solidarity campaign launched by the now-shuttered pro-Kurdish Özgür Gündem daily.
January 30, Wednesday
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Third hearing of Etkin News Agency (ETHA) editor Semiha Şahin and reporter Pınar Gayip will be held at İstanbul 23. High Criminal Court at 09:15 AM. Imprisoned since April 2018, Şahin and Gayip are charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorist propaganda”.
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22 journalists were sued for “insult” and “resisting the police officers to hinder their duty” after the now-shuttered pro-Kurdish Özgür Gündem daily was raided by police. Their hearing will be held at İstanbul 5. Criminal Court of First Instance at 09:30 AM.
January 31, Thursday
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Hearing of academic Özlem Beyarslan, will be held at İstanbul 14. High Criminal Court at 09:30 AM. Beyarslan, defended by MLSA Legal Unit’s Veysel Ok, is charged with "terrorist propaganda" due to her participation in the peace petition titled "We will not be a party to this crime" criticizing the state’s military involvement in the predominantly Kurdish populated cities. The petition was launched by Academics for Peace Initiative.
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Accused of “terrorist propaganda”, journalist Can Dündar’s hearing will be held at İstanbul 22. High Criminal Court. Dündar had also participated in the above-mentioned “Editors-in-Chief-on-Watch” campaign and become Özgür Gündem’s editor-in-chief for one day.
