Defendants: Eren Keskin, Reyhan Çapan, Filiz Koçali, Ayşe Berktay, Nuray Özdoğan, Celalettin Can, Ayşe Batumlu, Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Hüseyin Aykol, Züleyha Yılmaz, +10 others

Media Outlet and Position: Özgür Gündem – Co-editor-in-chiefs, editors and journalists

Accusations: Terrorist propaganda; Overtly inciting a crime; Praising a crime and the criminal

Possible sentence: –

Court: İstanbul 14. High Criminal Court

Case Background: 

Editors, journalists and columnists for now-shuttered Özgür Gündem newspaper were brought to court on the charges of “overtly inciting a crime” and “terrorist propaganda” over the daily’s articles and reports.

Journalists are being tried for their participation in the solidarity campaign, “Editors-in-Chief on Watch” for the newspaper Özgür Gündem. The case has 20 defendants in total. Hearings were held in two sessions on July 6 and July 9, 2018, splitting the defendants in half.

On July 9, 2018, the cases of  Co-Editor-in-Chief of Özgür Gündem Eren Keskin, the Managing Editor Reyhan Çapan,  journalist Reyhan Hacıoğlu, author and translator Ayşe Berktay, lawyers Nuray Özdoğan and Ayşe Batumlu, political party members Celalettin Can and Filiz Koçali were taken up.

Eren Keskin, a prominent journalist, was sentenced on March 29, 2018, along with Reyhan Çapan to 7.5 years each on charges of “insulting the President and state institutions” in three reports published in Özgür Gündem in 2015.  Similarly, lawyer and daily columnist, Ayşe Batumlu, was sentenced to 5 months imprisonment at the hearing on the charge of “inciting a crime”. Batumlu’s sentence was suspended.

Çapan was arrested on May 11, 2018 in another case over “making terrorist propaganda” after her sentence of one year and three months was confirmed by an upper court. She was released on January 18, 2019.  In the same case, Co-Editor-in-Chief Hüseyin Aykol and reporter Ersin Çaksu were sentenced to 5 years and 3 months for “insulting the President”. Aykol and Çaksu’s sentences were suspended.

After a 10-minute long hearing on July 9, 2018, the court adjourned the next hearing to March 28, 2019. During the March 28-hearing, defense lawyers requested files of Eren Keskin’s another case at İstanbul 23. High Criminal Court to be joined with this case. Court agreed to evaluate the request for joined of cases and ruled to wait for implementation of arrest warrants issued for some defendants.

Next hearing will take place on May 21, 15:30 local time.