EYLEM SONBAHAR
Journalist Rahime Karvar was released by an Istanbul court on Wednesday after spending nearly five months in pretrial detention on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.” The court imposed a travel ban on Karvar, who was arrested in a media-focused investigation in January, and adjourned the trial until July 17.
Karvar, who appeared in court from the prison where she had been held since Jan. 20, stood trial before the 24th High Criminal Court in Istanbul. She was arrested alongside five other journalists as part of a broader investigation centered in Turkey’s largest city.
The hearing was attended by Karvar’s attorneys Elif Taşdöğen, Kemal Toraman and Serhat Çakmak. Several journalists’ associations, including the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, Mesopotamian Women Journalists Association, and the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS), as well as Karvar’s colleagues and relatives, observed the trial in solidarity.
In her defense statement, Karvar described her arrest as part of a wider crackdown on press freedom in Turkey. “The prosecutor’s indictment seeks to criminalize the act of reporting on the unknown by labeling it a threat to national security or as disparaging state institutions,” she said. “I believe journalism is about exposing the invisible. Journalism is the act of bringing the unknown to the public. Everything presented as evidence in the indictment is simply part of my journalistic work.”
When the presiding judge asked about the general aim of her television programs, Karvar responded: “Producing a program about the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan is a journalistic responsibility in my view. Thousands of people have protested this isolation — are all of them going to be labeled as terrorists?”
The prosecutor requested the continuation of Karvar’s detention while asking for additional time to prepare the final opinion on the case.
Following Karvar’s statement, her attorney Elif Taşdöğen argued there was no new evidence in the file. She said the indictment had been copy-pasted from a police report and insisted her client had no formal ties to Medya Haber, the news outlet cited in the investigation. “My client submits her reports to Güncel Prodüksiyon. She is on trial because she addresses social issues,” Taşdöğen said. “The term 'Kurdistan' has been used for centuries. When ministers and politicians say it, it's not a problem — but when my client uses it as a journalist, it's considered criminal? This is not acceptable. The owner of Güncel Prodüksiyon, who was previously detained, has already been acquitted.”
When Taşdöğen used the word “sayın” (a formal honorific) in reference to Abdullah Öcalan during her defense, the presiding judge interrupted her, saying, “Do not use the word 'sayın' in my courtroom when referring to the leader of the organization.” Taşdöğen responded: “That’s a matter of debate. You’re interfering with my defense. If you find it unlawful, you’re free to take legal action.” The judge replied, “I’ve already been waiting for you to finish your statement.”
Attorney Serhat Çakmak criticized the prosecution’s use of a zoomed-in screenshot as evidence, stating, “This kind of analysis by law enforcement is inadequate. Journalistic work might not please everyone, but she is conducting journalism from her perspective. There is no further evidence for the court to gather. Detention should be the exception, not the rule. We ask for her release.”
After a recess, the court ruled for Karvar’s release under a travel ban. The next hearing is scheduled for July 17.
