MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Lawsuit against journalists who protested the detention of journalists – Esra Soybir
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Esra Soybir
CITY
İstanbul
LAST UPDATED
13/06/2024
TYPE OF STATEMENT
Political
THE TITLE OF WHOSE RIGHT IS INTERFERED
Journalist
RIGHTS GUARANTEED UNDER THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Right to Impart Information and Ideas
TYPE OF INTERFERENCE
Judicial Interference
Criminal Courts
Approval of the indictment and initiating the prosecution
THE LEGAL GROUNDS FOR INTERFERENCE
Other Laws

A lawsuit was filed against ETHA editor Pınar Gayip, Evrensel reporter Eylem Nazlıer, Direnişteyiz.org reporter Esra Soybir, Struggle Union reporter Serpil Ünal, Gazete Patika reporter Yadigar Aygün and journalist Zeynep Kuray for protesting the detention and arrest of their colleagues. Journalists wanted to make a statement in front of Süreyya Opera in Kadıköy on April 29 for their colleagues who were detained in Diyarbakır and Ankara-based investigations on the same days, but they were detained before the action even started. It is stated in the indictment that Kadıköy District Governorship banned the action after receiving information that an action would be held. The prosecutor wrote that the police informed the protesting journalists about the ban decision and stated that the journalists did not disperse despite the warnings and chanted slogans such as “Free press cannot be silenced, journalism is not a crime, we will not be silent.” Journalists who were detained before the protest even started will be tried at the Istanbul Anatolian 22nd Criminal Court of First Instance on January 10, 2024, which is also the Day of Working Journalists (October 1).

The third hearing of the case was held on 13 June 2024 at the Anatolian 22nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The prosecutor gave an opinion, stated that the journalists did not disperse despite warnings, and requested penalty for all of them for the crime charged. The court adjourned the case until October 31, 2024 for the lawyers to make their defense against the opinion (June 13).