Defendants: Berfin Aslan, Mehmet Şahin

Media Outlet and Position: Journalists

Accusations: Defying the law on assemblies and demonstrations

Possible sentence: –

Court: İstanbul 25. Criminal Court

Case Background: 

Journalists Berfin Aslan and Mehmet Şahin were briefly detained by police along with nine others on August 23, 2019, while reporting on a press release of pro-Kurdish political party HDP’s youth branch in Kadıköy, Istanbul, following the elected mayors’ dismissal in several cities in southeastern Turkey. Journalists are being charged with “defying the law on assemblies and demonstrations“.

The first hearing was held on November 22, 2019, at the İstanbul 25. Criminal Court. Court adjourned the hearing until January 16, 2020 in order to allow an expert opinion to be submitted to the case file.