As part of an Ankara-based investigation, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) Managing Editor Diren Yurtsever, MA reporters Berivan Altan, Deniz Nazlım, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Ceylan Şahinli, Emrullah Acar and JinNews reporters Habibe Eren and Öznur Değer as well as Mehmet Günhan were detained on October 25, 2022 (October 25).
Having testified at the Ankara Courthouse, MA Managing Editor Diren Yurtsever, MA reporters Berivan Altan, Deniz Nazlım, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Ceylan Şahinli, Emrullah Acar and JinNews reporters Habibe Eren and Öznur Değer were arrested on charge of “membership of a terrorist organization” (October 29).
2023
On May 16, Deniz Nazlım, Selman Güzelyüz, Mehmet Günhan, Hakan Yalçın and Zemo Ağgöz were released at the first hearing (May 16).
On July 5, during the second hearing, the court ruled for the continuation of the judicial control measures and rejected the journalists’ request for exemption. The request for the return of digital materials was rejected and the case was adjourned to October 26, 2023 (July 5).
The fifth and final hearing of the case was held on July 3 at the Ankara 4th High Criminal Court. The court ruled that Habibe Eren, Ceylan Şahinli and Mehmet Günhan be acquitted, and that Diren Yurtsever, Berivan Altan, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Emrullah Acar, Zemo Ağgöz, Deniz Nazlım and Öznur Değer be sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison each (July 3).
23 September 2025
The Ankara Regional Court of Appeals sent back to the first instance court the case file of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Diren Yurtsever, Berivan Altan, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Emrullah Acar, Ceylan Şahinli, Zemo Ağgöz, Deniz Nazlım, JinNews reporters Habibe Eren and Öznur Değer, and former MA intern Mehmet Günhan, who are on trial on charges of “membership in an organization” (Article 314/2 of the Turkish Penal Code). The court ruled that the case could not be reviewed in its current state, citing the absence of the bill of indictment, detention and arrest records, and interrogation minutes. The decision, taken unanimously on 23 September, stated that once these deficiencies are remedied, the file may be resubmitted for appellate review.
