This week, trials concerning journalism and freedom of expression continue with various charges. Among the journalists on trial are Mehmet Şah Oruç, Pınar Gayıp, Mehmet Acettin, Barış Pehlivan, Mustafa Büyüksipahi, Sedef Kabaş, and Hayko Bağdat, represented by MLSA.
Additionally, a trail against 87 members and executives of the Workers' Party of Turkey, who protested the Red Crescent's sale of tents after an earthquake, will be heard on its anniversary. Journalist Fırat Bulut, sociologist-writer Veli Saçılık, and climate and energy expert Önder Algedik, facing charges for "publicly disseminating misleading information" about the earthquake, will also be in court on the anniversary.
Updates on these hearings will be shared by the MLSA Trial Monitoring Unit on @MLSADavaTakip in Turkish and English.
February 6, Tuesday
- 09.00 - The 13th hearing of the lawsuit filed against Hayko Baghdad, defended by MLSA, due to "making illegal organization propaganda" will be held at Istanbul 28th High Criminal Court.
- 09.05 - The trial of journalist Mehmet Şah Oruç, who was arrested on April 25 as part of an investigation conducted by Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and released on October 31, will continue at Bitlis 2nd High Criminal Court. This will be the third hearing of the case.
- 10.35 - The third hearing of journalist Fırat Bulut's trial under the so-called "Censorship Law", which regulates the crime of "publicly disseminating misleading information", will be held at the Elbistan Criminal Court of First Instance. Bulut, who is on trial for his post about the earthquake, will appear before the judge again on the earthquake's first anniversary.
- 11.15 - AKP MP Ali İhsan Arslan's compensation lawsuit against İleri Haber and journalists İzel Sezer and Doğan Ergün for a news article published in 2021 through quotation will be heard at Ankara 20th Civil Court of First Instance
- 11.20 - The first hearing of the trial filed against sociologist-writer Veli Saçılık under the "Censorship Law" for a social media post criticizing AFAD about the earthquake will be held at Ankara 10th Criminal Court of First Instance. Saçılık will also appear before the judge on the earthquake's first anniversary.
February 7, Wednesday
- 11.50 - The fifth hearing of the trial where journalist Barış Pehlivan and former Publishing Coordinator of Cumhuriyet Newspaper, Mustafa Büyüksipahi, are being prosecuted for "insulting a public official" due to news related to former member of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) Hamit Kocabey and his lawyer son Nizameddin Kocabey, who are alleged to have resigned upon the instruction of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Leader Devlet Bahçeli, will take place at the Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 10.20 - The 17th hearing of the lawsuit filed against artist Ferhat Tunç due to "inciting people to hatred and hostility" through a post he made on his social media account will be held at Büyükçekmece 4th Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 10.30 - The first hearing of the trial against 87 members and executives of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), who protested the Turkish Red Crescent for selling tents it had kept in stock after the earthquake for money, on charges of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations," will be held on the anniversary of the earthquake. The trial will take place at the Istanbul Anadolu 44th Criminal Court of First Instance.
February 8, Thursday
- 11.00 - The third hearing of the case in which Sedef Kabaş is on trial for "insulting the President" over 25 posts on social media will be held at Istanbul Anatolian 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 09.50 - The third hearing of the case against Pınar Gayıp, editor and co-owner of Etkin News Agency (ETHA), and Mehmet Acettin, co-owner of the agency, on charges of "publicly degrading the State of the Republic of Turkey" as regulated in Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code will be held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
- 11.40 - The second hearing of climate and energy expert Önder Algedik's case, in which he is on trial for 'spreading misleading information' under the "Censorship Law" due to a post he made about AFAD after the earthquake, will be held at Ankara 24th Criminal Court of First Instance.
