The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the International Press Institute (IPI), and 15 other press freedom, freedom of expression, and journalism organizations have issued a joint statement strongly condemning the pre-trial detention of journalist Furkan Karabay, who has been held behind bars for 117 days over his journalism. The organizations are calling for his immediate release.
Karabay, who has worked as a reporter and editor for outlets such as Gerçek Gündem and 10Haber, faces charges that could result in a prison sentence of between 6 and 15 years. He was arrested on May 15, 2025, following a police raid on his home in Istanbul and was sent to prison the same day. He is accused of “targeting public officials involved in counterterrorism efforts” and “insulting the president.” Since his arrest, all requests for release filed by his lawyers have been denied on the grounds that he might flee. An indictment was only prepared on September 5—114 days after his arrest.
The charges stem from Karabay’s reporting on investigations involving the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, where he included the names and photographs of judicial officials. Prosecutors claim this amounted to “targeting” members of the judiciary. The “insulting the president” charge is based on Karabay referencing a past statement by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a news report about the health of another government official. Karabay has rejected all charges, emphasizing that the information he used was publicly available.
Karabay has previously been targeted for his journalism. The Media and Press Freedom Monitoring Fund (MapMF) has documented five separate incidents involving Karabay since the beginning of 2024. In April 2025, he was convicted of “insulting the president” and “defamation” over comments made on a YouTube program, in a case initiated by complaints from Erdoğan and his family. Although he was sentenced to over two years in prison, the verdict was deferred.
He has also been imprisoned twice before on similar charges. In December 2023, he was detained over a report on corruption and bribery allegations and remained in custody until January 2024. In November 2024, he was arrested again over news reports and social media posts about the detention of an opposition mayor and the appointment of a state trustee to replace them. He was released later that same month.
Karabay’s case is part of a broader trend of journalists in Turkey being held in pre-trial detention for extended periods without indictments. His prosecution echoes other recent examples, such as veteran journalist Fatih Altaylı, who was detained in June 2025 for “threatening the president” over remarks made in an online broadcast. Altaylı’s indictment took over a month to prepare. In February 2025, journalists Yıldız Tar, Ercüment Akdeniz, and Elif Akgül were also detained and held for several months before formal charges were filed. While not all charges are directly related to journalism, such cases highlight how pre-trial detention is increasingly used to silence and punish critical media.
The undersigned organizations view Karabay’s continued detention without a timely indictment as a disproportionate and punitive measure that violates due process. Journalistic work and critical commentary cannot be treated as criminal offenses. Equating news reporting with crimes such as “targeting public officials” is a dangerous distortion of the law.
IPI and the co-signing organizations call for the immediate release of journalist Furkan Karabay and the dismissal of all charges against him. They urge Turkish authorities to stop using vague legal provisions to punish journalists and to release the 17 journalists who remain in prison across the country.
Signatories:
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International Press Institute (IPI)
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European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
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European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
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Dicle Fırat Journalists Association
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Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
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South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
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IFEX
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Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)
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Norwegian Helsinki Committee
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PEN America
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Swedish PEN
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Danish PEN
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Norwegian PEN
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Punto24 Independent Journalism Association (P24)
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Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
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International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
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PEN International
