The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office opened a lawsuit against Selman Keleş, Özgür Paksoy, Kenan Kırkaya, Aziz Oruç (reporters for the shuttered pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency, or DİHA), Ersin Çaksu (The editor-in-chief for Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper), and İhsak Yasul (The chief-editor for Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper) for allegedly“Degrading Turkish Nation, State of Turkish Republic, the Organs and Institutions of the State” in April 2017. Ministry of Justice has accepted to launch an investigation over their reports and articles about Turkish military actions in predominantly ethnic-Kurdish cities in southeastern Turkey published in Özgürlükçü Demokrasi between 21 October and 1 November, 2016.

On the last hearing of their trial held on November 28, 2019, the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced İshak Yasul, Kenan Kırkaya, Özgür Paksoy and Selman Keleş to 5 months of imprisonment under article 301.

While the pronouncement of the judgement was deferred for journalists İshak Yasul, Kenan Kırkaya and Özgür Paksoy, the prison sentence of Selman Keleş was suspended.

The court decided that the files of Aziz Oruç and Ersin Çaksu to be separated (28 November).

At the hearing held on December 10, 2020, Aziz Oruç made his defense by attending the hearing from Diyarbakır province via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). The court has ruled that the warrant against Ersin Çaksu shall be awaited and the documents pertaining to the Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper case be obtained from the file of the trial that ended on November 28. The next hearing will be held on March 16, 2021 (December 10).

At the hearing held on March 16, Erselan Aktan, the attorney of Aziz Oruç, demanded that the deficiencies in the case file be rectified. The court board ruled that the execution of the warrant against Ersin Çaksu should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on July 13 (March 16).

At the hearing held on the file on July 13, 2021, a request was made to keep the warrant against journalist Ersin Çaksu in force. The next hearing will be held on November 30 (July 13).

The lawyers of Oruç and Çaksu did not attend the hearing held on November 30, 2021 by presenting an excuse. The hearing was held through the file and adjourned until a later date (November 30). 

At the hearing held on March 24, 2022, the court board ruled that the warrant against Ersin Çaksu should remain in effect. The next hearing will be held on October 27 at 11 am (March 24).

At the hearing held on October 27, 2022, the court ruled that the execution of the warrant against Çaksu should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on March 30, 2023 (October 27).