Photojournalist Çağdaş Erdoğan was detained on 2 September 2017 while taking photographs in a park in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district. He was accused of allegedly taking photographs of a social facility for the employees of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and was arrested 11 days later, on 13 September, on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization (PKK/KCK)” and “propagandizing for a terrorist organistion”
Erdoğan appeared at the first hearing of the trial on 13 February 2018 and addressed the 33rd High Criminal Court of Istanbul for his defense statement. By the interim ruling of the first hearing, the court ruled to release the photojournalist pending trial and imposed an international travel ban.
Erdoğan’s trial resumed on 13 June 2019 at the 33rd High Criminal Court of Istanbul. Erdoğan’s lawyers requested additional time.
The last hearing was held on September 5 and the court acquitted Erdoğan on the charge of “being a member of a terrorist organization” but found him guilty on “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” and sentenced him 1 year and 8 months of imprisonment. The court reduced the time he spent in prison from the the sentence and deferred the pronouncement of the judgement.