June 2026 – MLSA Fair Trial Monitoring Report

• In June, 108 people were tried across 14 cases, with most defendants being journalists, activists, and politicians.

• The most common charges were "membership in a terrorist organization," "publicly disseminating misleading information," and "insult."

• Hearings again started late, courtroom conditions were inadequate, and the presence of law enforcement officers continued despite objections from defense lawyers. In one case, the judge directly intervened in the defendant's defense statement.

• Acquittals were issued in five cases during the month. However, journalist İsmail Arı's press card was revoked despite the absence of any final criminal conviction.

• Journalists Yıldız Tar and Ali Çağatay were arrested pending trial, while Evrensel newspaper reporter Doğa Baskan spent one day in pretrial detention because of a draft news story that was mistakenly published. According to MLSA data, 23 journalists and media workers were in prison in Turkey as of the end of June

In June 2026, MLSA observers monitored 17 hearings across 14 cases involving a total of 108 defendants. The defendants included 11 journalists, nine activists, eight politicians, one writer, one academic, and one student. The most common charges were membership in a terrorist organization (Article 314/2 of the Turkish Penal Code), publicly disseminating misleading information (Article 217/A), insult (Articles 125 and 299), and participating in an unlawful assembly.

During the month, at least 224 people, including at least five journalists, were detained. According to MLSA data, 21 journalists and media workers were in prison in Turkey as of the end of June. The most notable fair trial concerns observed during the month included technical failures in the Judicial Interview System (SEGBİS), inadequate courtroom conditions, and the continued presence of law enforcement officers inside courtrooms.

Defendant profile

Journalists made up the largest group of defendants. Prominent names included Ercüment Akdeniz, Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, Erdoğan Alayumat, İsmail Arı, Nisanur Yıldırım, Abdurrahman Gök, Mehmet Şahin, Timur Soykan, Ayça Onuralmış, Öznur Değer, and Osman Akın.

Twenty people were tried in a case stemming from social media posts about the possible appointment of a government trustee to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), while 53 people were prosecuted for participating in the Istanbul Pride March. These two mass trials were the primary drivers of the month's high number of defendants.

Charges and evidence

The most common charge was membership in a terrorist organization (Article 314/2 of the Turkish Penal Code), brought against journalists Ercüment Akdeniz, Erdoğan Alayumat, Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, Abdurrahman Gök, and Mehmet Şahin. The charge of publicly disseminating misleading information (Article 217/A) was brought against journalists İsmail Arı and Timur Soykan, while insult charges were brought in the cases of Nisanur Yıldırım (Article 125), İdris Yılmaz (Article 125), and Yunus Kılıç (Article 299).

The charge of participating in an unlawful assembly or demonstration was brought against 62 defendants in cases related to the Istanbul Pride March and a protest held during the TRT World Forum.

The evidence relied on most frequently consisted of news reports, social media posts, and police reports. In the Istanbul Pride March case, municipal surveillance (MOBESE) footage and other video recordings were also submitted as evidence.

Courtroom practice and fair trial concerns

MLSA observers identified at least one fair trial concern in the vast majority of the hearings they monitored.

Delayed starts: Seven of the 10 hearings began late. The reasons included technical failures in the Judicial Interview System (SEGBİS), heavy court workloads, delays by judicial panels, and insufficient courtroom capacity. In journalist İsmail Arı's case, the hearing began one hour late because it was moved to a different courtroom.

Courtroom conditions: The courtroom in Ercüment Akdeniz's case was described as poorly ventilated. In the case involving 20 defendants over social media posts about the possible appointment of a government trustee to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and in the Istanbul Pride March case involving 53 defendants, the assigned courtrooms proved too small. In both cases, the hearings were moved to larger courtrooms following requests by defense lawyers. In the cases involving İsmail Arı, and journalists Esra Solin Dal, Erdoğan Alayumat, and Mehmet Aslan, inadequate sound systems made it difficult to hear the defendants, witnesses, and members of the judicial panel.

Law enforcement presence: Plainclothes and uniformed police officers were present inside courtrooms during multiple hearings. In the Istanbul Pride March case, defense lawyers objected to the presence of riot police officers inside the courtroom, but the judge did not rule on the objection. In İsmail Arı's case, police officers were stationed both inside and outside the courtroom.

SEGBİS issues: In Ercüment Akdeniz's case, a technical failure in the SEGBİS video-link system delayed the start of the hearing, and connection problems persisted throughout the proceedings.

Interference with the defense: In the CHP trustee social media posts case, the judge interrupted a defendant who sought to tell a joke during his defense statement. Defense lawyers objected, but the judge did not change his position. In the TRT World Forum protest case, the hearing was postponed after the presiding judge went on medical leave. The postponement was handled administratively based on the case file, and the defendants were not given an opportunity to address the court.

Stages of proceedings

The cases monitored by MLSA were at different stages of the judicial process. The case against Ercüment Akdeniz was in its fourth hearing, the case over social media posts about the possible appointment of a government trustee to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was in its third hearing, and the Istanbul Pride March case was in its first hearing.

The case against Abdurrahman Gök was in its eleventh hearing, Mehmet Şahin's in its seventh, İdris Yılmaz's in its seventh, and Ercan Aktaş's in its twenty-fourth. The case against Danish journalist Mads Nyborg Anneberg had reached its sixteenth hearing. The cases against Öznur Değer and Timur Soykan were both in their second hearings.

The number of hearings illustrates the length of many proceedings. Despite reaching their twenty-fourth and sixteenth hearings, respectively, the cases against Ercan Aktaş and Mads Nyborg Anneberg have yet to conclude. The case law of the European Court of Human Rights recognizes the right to be tried within a reasonable time as an integral part of the right to a fair trial. Proceedings that stretch over years and require dozens of hearings can become a continuing source of pressure on defendants, particularly those prosecuted for their journalistic work, creating a de facto chilling effect.

Rulings

Several cases concluded or reached significant rulings in June 2026.

Ercüment Akdeniz was acquitted of membership in a terrorist organization (Article 314/2 of the Turkish Penal Code).

Ayça Onuralmış was acquitted of slander (Article 267).

Esra Solin Dal and Mehmet Aslan were acquitted of membership in a terrorist organization (Article 314/2).

İsmail Arı was acquitted of publicly disseminating misleading information (Article 217/A) and was released at his first hearing after spending 75 days in pretrial detention.

Nisanur Yıldırım was acquitted of insulting a public official (Article 125).

A case against journalists Furkan Karabay and Faruk Eren on charges of insulting a public official (Article 125), filed following a complaint by Constitutional Court member İrfan Fidan, was dismissed.

Yunus Kılıç was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison for insulting the president (Article 299). The court suspended the announcement of the verdict.

Erdoğan Alayumat was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison for disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization (Article 7/2 of Turkey's Anti-Terror Law). The court suspended the announcement of the verdict.

MLSA's legal team appealed that ruling.

Journalist Cihan Berk was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison after being convicted of membership in a terrorist organization (Article 314/2). He was released pending appeal under a judicial control measure that includes a travel ban.

Other developments during the month

Ahead of the NATO summit, Turkish authorities detained 209 people, including at least five journalists, in operations carried out in Ankara on June 23. Those detained included Kaos GL Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar, an academic, politicians, and lawyers. Tar's questioning by the police counterterrorism unit was completed, and 52 people were referred to the prosecutor's office. In a separate case involving the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), which Tar was unable to attend because of the detention, the court rejected a request to lift judicial control measures imposed on the journalist.

Yelis Ayaz, editor-in-chief of Aydınpost, was released from pretrial detention in a case in which she had been jailed since May 15. The next hearing in her trial was scheduled for June 30.

MLSA's legal team filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights over the pretrial detention of journalist Vedat Örüç on allegations of membership in a terrorist organization (Article 314/2 of the Turkish Penal Code). MLSA also appealed the prison sentence imposed on Bakur documentary cinematographer Koray Kesik.

Turkey's Directorate of Communications revoked the press card of BirGün reporter İsmail Arı, citing his criminal record, despite the fact that he has no final criminal conviction.

Turkey's broadcasting watchdog, RTÜK, imposed administrative fines on SZC TV, Halk TV, ATV, Show TV, Star TV, NOW TV, and Kanal D. RTÜK member İlhan Taşçı said SZC TV was penalized because of its interviews with Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel.

MLSA challenged before Turkey's Constitutional Court an RTÜK regulation requiring online broadcasters to obtain broadcasting licenses.

As part of security measures surrounding the NATO summit, accreditation requests from İlke TV, Cumhuriyet, Medyascope, NOW TV, and independent journalists were rejected without explanation.

The first hearing was held in the case against ETHA reporter Müslüm Koyun, who is charged with membership in a terrorist organization (Article 314/2). The court ordered that his pretrial detention continue and adjourned the case until July 16.

Journalist Barış Terkoğlu was charged with insulting a public official (Article 125) following a complaint by former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu. The first hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28 in Ankara.

Chemical company TSM Brands filed a civil lawsuit seeking 1 million Turkish lira ($) in damages against journalists Murat Ağırel, Barış Pehlivan, Timur Soykan, and Barış Terkoğlu over broadcasts about the company on Onlar TV.

Acting on a submission by MLSA, the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers requested information from Turkey on measures to ensure that arrests are supported by concrete evidence. The committee's agenda also included the unimplemented European Court of Human Rights judgments ordering the immediate release of former pro-Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş and businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala.

Following the Trans Pride March in Istanbul's Kadıköy district, police detained at least 10 people, including journalists Yusuf Çelik and Doğa Tekneci, who were covering the event. All were released later the same evening.

Evrensel reporter Doğa Baskan was arrested over a news story that had been removed from the newspaper's website. He was released the following day.

Journalist Ali Çağatay was arrested after being detained over a social media post about the alleged abduction of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality official Erhan Karaal. He faces charges of publicly disseminating misleading information and denigrating the institutions and organs of the state.

Mezopotamya Agency reporter Sema Bingöl was detained while covering a commemoration for Ethem Sarısülük in Ankara and was later released. Three news websites were reported to have published content targeting Bingöl afterward.

After courts in Istanbul and Diyarbakır each ruled that they lacked jurisdiction in separate cases against human rights defender Nimet Tanrıkulu, the case file was referred to the Court of Cassation.

Halk TV reporter Umut Taştan became the subject of a criminal investigation after covering a miners' protest in the northwestern province of Edirne.