More than half of free speech-related trials monitored in Turkey over the past year involved terrorism charges, while pre-trial detention rates have sharply increased, accordingto a new report released to a new report released by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA). Covering the period from Sept. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025, the report observed that a large portion of the 275 cases it tracked involved allegations such as "membership in a terrorist organization" and "terrorist propaganda."
In total, 1,696 individuals were prosecuted across 430 hearings. Activists made up the majority of defendants, charged for participating in peaceful protests, attending press briefings, or sharing political views on social media — all activities protected under the Turkish Constitution. Journalists formed the second largest group with 306 defendants, representing over 18% of the total. Their routine professional activities, such as news reporting and conducting interviews, were often treated as evidence of criminal conduct.
Following protests over the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and demonstrations on university campuses, 254 students were also put on trial, making up nearly 15% of those prosecuted. The remainder included 92 lawyers (5.4%) and 93 politicians (5.5%) targeted in free speech-related cases.
Terrorism charges made up more than half of all indictments
The report found that 52% of defendants — one in every two — were charged under Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law (TMK). The most frequent charge, "membership in an armed terrorist organization," appeared in 102 cases, accounting for 31.5% of all indictments. Another common charge, "making propaganda for a terrorist organization," was used in 59 cases (18.2%).
The findings underscore a pattern in which professional, peaceful, and constitutionally protected expressions — particularly by journalists, activists, and students — are increasingly being reclassified as terrorism-related offenses.
Protest law increasingly used as a tool of repression
In addition to terrorism charges, 13% of the indictments cited violations of Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations. This law was often invoked in cases involving street protests, campus actions, and press statements. Commonly cited offenses included "failing to disperse despite warnings," "sitting on the ground," or "carrying banners" — none of which involved violence. Prosecution files often relied on security camera footage, police reports, and photos of protests as primary evidence.
Insult charges, including insulting the president, remain common
The third most common category of charges related to insult laws. A total of 10.8% of cases involved allegations of insulting public officials or private individuals. Despite a Constitutional Court ruling, the offense of "insulting the president" continued to be used, appearing in 27 trials (8.3%).
These charges were frequently brought against journalists, politicians, and social media users over statements made within the scope of free expression.
Rise in disinformation prosecutions under controversial new law
The crime of “publicly disseminating misleading information,” under Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code — widely referred to as the “censorship law” — was cited in 13 cases this year. Though introduced in 2022, the law continues to be used against journalists and ordinary citizens alike.
Subjects of these cases included news reports and commentary on the February 2023 earthquakes, public policy issues, allegations of corruption, and the healthcare system, all of which were accused of spreading "false information."
Harsh sentences handed down despite high acquittal rate
Of the 108 cases concluded during the reporting period, 57% ended in acquittal. However, courts still imposed a combined total of 197 years and 2 months in prison sentences and 95,000 Turkish lira in judicial fines. The majority of these convictions were for terrorism-related offenses — specifically, membership in or propaganda for a terrorist organization — which made up 45.5% of all convictions.
In many cases, courts handed down suspended sentences or deferred judgments, meaning defendants avoided immediate imprisonment but were kept under judicial supervision for extended periods.
Journalists still face heavy terror charges
In 162 of the 275 monitored cases, 306 journalists stood trial — roughly one in every five defendants. Terror charges remained dominant. The accusation of "armed terrorist organization membership" alone was used in 56 cases against journalists, while "terrorist propaganda" was cited in 25. Other cases targeted journalists for alleged disinformation, insulting the president, or reporting on members of the judiciary, reinforcing the trend of criminalizing journalistic work.
Pre-trial detention and judicial control on the rise
One of the report’s most striking findings was a near tripling in the rate of pre-trial detention. In 28 of the 275 trials, 66 defendants — including 13 journalists — were held in custody while their cases proceeded. This marked a jump from 4.5% last year to 13%.
In addition, judicial control measures — such as travel bans and mandatory police check-ins — were applied in 46 cases, reflecting a 16.7% year-on-year increase.
Evidence based on expression shows deepening crackdown
The report highlights how the nature of the evidence used in prosecutions further exposes the scale of interference with freedom of expression in Turkey. In most cases, the primary evidence consisted of the defendants’ own expressions: news articles, social media posts — including single tweets or retweets — and photos of them at protests. In some indictments, mere participation in a press statement was cited as the core offense.
This suggests that in many trials, the alleged crime is not an act but the expression itself — speech, journalism, or public presence in a protest setting.
A growing institutionalization of repression
According to the MLSA, this year’s data reveals that not only have judicial practices targeting freedom of expression remained unchanged, they have become more entrenched.
Despite the rise in acquittal rates, lengthy prison sentences, widespread use of police custody, deferred judgments, and the expanding scope of criminal accusations demonstrate that legal pressure on free expression in Turkey remains intense and systematic.
