MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Hüseyin Aykol on Trial for “publicly degrading the government”
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Hüseyin Aykol
CITY
İstanbul
YEAR OF INTERFERENCE
2019
LAST UPDATED
27/06/2024
TYPE OF STATEMENT
Political
MEDIUM
Print Media
Newspaper
THE TITLE OF WHOSE RIGHT IS INTERFERED
Editor / Editor-In-Chief
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
Turkish Penal Code
Art. 301

The case in which  journalists Hüseyin Aykol, Hatip Dicle, Zana Kaya and İnan Kızılkaya, former co-editors-in-chief and managing editor of the shuttered daily Özgür Gündem, for “publicly degrading the government, the judiciary or the police force” and “publicly degrading the Turkish nation, the Turkish Republic and the Parliament” was continued at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

For the case consisting of 14 files in total, the court is awaiting the execution of the arrest warrant against Dicle. No verdict was rendered at hearings held on May 6, October 10 or February 5. Next hearing will be held on June 2, 2020.

At the 16th hearing held on September 22, due to the change of judge, the previous session minutes were read. Lawyers said that they will make a defense after the missing points in the file are resolved. The court decided to await the execution of the arrest warrant against Dicle and the trial was adjourned until 15 December (22 September). 

At the hearing held on December 15, 2020, attorneys were present in the courtroom on behalf of the journalists. The court has ruled that the execution of the warrant against politician Hatip Dicle shall be awaited. The next hearing will be held on March 4, 2021 (December 15).

At the hearing held on March 4, 2021, the prosecutor demanded that the deficiencies in the case file be rectified. The court board adjourned the hearing for the rectification of the deficiencies. The next hearing will be held on July 13 (March 4).

At the hearing held on July 13, 2021, the court board ruled that the warrant against Hatip Dicle should remain in force and its execution should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on November 16 (July 13).

On the grounds that the court board had changed, lawyers did not attend the hearing by offering an excuse on November 16, 2021. The next hearing will be held on March 3, 2022 (November 16). 

At the hearing held on March 3, 2022, the court board ruled that the execution of the warrant against Hatip Dicle should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on June 16 (March 3).

At the hearing held on June 16, lawyer Kılıç demanded that the deficiencies in the file be rectified. The court board ruled that the execution of the warrant against Hatip Dicle should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on November 22 (June 16).

At the hearing held on November 22, 2022, the court ruled that the execution of the warrant against Hatip Dicle should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on March 14, 2023 (November 22).

In the 25th hearing held on September 14, 2023, the court ruled that the execution of the warrant against Hatip Dicle should be awaited and adjourned the case until January 4, 2024 (September 14).

The 27th hearing of the case was held on June 27, 2024 at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. the court ruled that the execution of the warrant against Hatip Dicle should be awaited and the hearing was adjourned until January 16, 2025 (June 27).