Mezopotamya News Agency reporters Mehmet Aslan and Esra Solin Dal and Yeni Özgür Politika reporter Erdoğan Alayumat were taken into custody during house raids conducted on April 23 in an operation based in Istanbul and arrested on April 26 on charges of “membership of a terrorist organization.” The reporters were released on 21 May, pending trial and under judicial control measures (26 April-21 May).

15 October 2024

The first hearing in the trial of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Esra Solin Dal and Mehmet Aslan, along with journalist Erdoğan Alayumat, charged with “membership in a terrorist organization,” was held on 15 October 2024 at the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court.

The indictment, accepted on 8 May 2024, cited 65 reports by the journalists covering issues such as the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, alleged use of chemical weapons by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), and women’s rights. The prosecution claimed these reports constituted “perception management activities, transmission of instructions, and calls for mass action” in line with organizational directives.

The journalists had been arrested on 26 April 2024 and released on 21 May under judicial control measures, including a travel ban and a ban on leaving their place of residence. At the first hearing, the journalists presented their defenses. The court lifted the judicial control measures and adjourned the trial until 11 February 2025. (15 October)