This week, numerous trials will be held in which journalists, writers, lawyers and human rights defenders are being prosecuted. While cases in which press activities, protest monitoring and professional work are made the subject of accusations stand out, an intense hearing calendar—especially in courts in Istanbul—draws attention.
Monday, April 27, 2026
09:30 – The hearing of the case in which journalist Can Öztürk, who was detained while covering the Boğaziçi University protests, and 14 students—whose defense is undertaken by MLSA—are being tried on charges of “resisting to prevent the execution of duty” and “participating unarmed in unlawful meetings and marches” will be held at the Istanbul 69th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
10:20 – The hearing of the case filed against journalists Erdoğan Alayumat, Tuğçe Yılmaz, Suzan Demir, Gülcan Dereli, Kemal Taylan Abatan, translator Serap Güneş and sociologist Berfin Atlı—whose defense is undertaken by MLSA—on the charge of “aiding an organization” due to copyrighted news reports they prepared for the Germany-based Yeni Özgür Politika newspaper and its PolitikArt supplement will be held at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
14:00 – The hearing of the case filed against journalists İsmail Arı and Yaşar Gökdemir on the charge of “defamation” will be held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
14:30 – The hearing of the “insulting a public official” case filed against journalist Barış Terkoğlu and former military judge Ahmet Zeki Üçok, following complaints by Court of Cassation members Şaban Yılmaz, İsmail Uçar and Deputy Minister of Justice Mehmet Yılmaz, will be held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
10:00 – The hearing of the case filed against writer Azad Zal on the charge of “membership in an organization” will be held at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court.
Thursday, April 30, 2026
09:30 – The hearing of the “obscenity” case filed against artist Fatih Karaca, known to the public as the “Mabel Matiz case,” will be held at the Istanbul 54th Criminal Court of First Instance.
10:05 – The hearing of the case filed against lawyer Özüm Vurgun on the charge of “membership in an organization” will be held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court.
10:10 – The hearing of the KCK Press Trial, in which a total of 46 journalists and media workers are being tried, will be held at the Istanbul 3rd High Criminal Court. The trial in the case, in which journalist Dilek Demiral—whose defense is undertaken by MLSA—is also among the defendants, has been ongoing for approximately 12 years.
10:40 – The verdict hearing of the case filed against human rights defender Nurcan Kaya on allegations of “membership in an organization” and “violation of the law on the prevention of financing of terrorism” will be held at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
12:00 – The hearing of the case in which lawyer Seda Şaraldı and 11 others are being tried on the charge of “membership in an organization” will be held at the Istanbul 32nd High Criminal Court.
14:00 – The hearing of the case filed against journalist Tolga Şardan on charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “denigrating the state’s judicial organs” will be held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
14:18 – The hearing of the “insult” and “defamation” case filed against journalists Barış Terkoğlu, Barış Pehlivan, Can Bursalı, Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Ayşenur Arslan, Fatih Portakal and Can Ertekin due to the book Metastaz 2: Cendere will be held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
