Prosecutor seeks prison terms for journalists who covered İmamoğlu protests

A public prosecutor in İstanbul is seeking prison sentences for seven journalists who were detained while covering protests triggered by the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last month.

The journalists were taken into custody during Mar 24 house raids and spent three days behind bars after being formally arrested. They are among 819 individuals charged by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for their alleged violation of the law on demonstrations. 

The journalists named in the indictment are Yasin Akgül, a photojournalist with Agence France-Presse (AFP); Ali Onur Tosun, a reporter for Now Haber; Bülent Kılıç, a photojournalist; reporters Zeynep Kuray and Hayri Tunç; Kurtuluş Arı, a photojournalist for İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality; and Gökhan Kam, a photojournalist for Bakırköy Municipality.

In the indictment, Prosecutor Tataroğlu accused the journalists of being present not to report on the events, but to actively participate in the protests. He dismissed their claims of being at the scene as part of their professional duties. “Although Bülent Kılıç, Kurtuluş Arı, Yasin Akgül, Zeynep Kuray, Gökhan Kam, Ali Onur Tosun, and Hayri Tunç stated in their testimonies that they were at the scene as part of their work as journalists and photojournalists, the file review revealed no police findings confirming these claims,” Tataroğlu wrote. “As no evidence was obtained to verify their statements, the prosecutor’s office did not consider their testimonies credible.”

The journalists are accused of violating Article 32 of Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations, which penalizes “participating in unlawful demonstrations without arms and refusing to disperse despite warnings.” The prosecutor is seeking prison sentences ranging from six months to three years. A total of 25 people are named in the indictment.

The Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) previously denounced the investigation as a “setup,” claiming that the case file included photos taken from angles that deliberately obscured the journalists’ cameras and press cards, to create the impression that they were protesters rather than members of the press.

Erol Önderoğlu, the Turkey representative for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), condemned the indictment, calling the case “tragicomic.” “Each time we say we should trust the judiciary, journalism rights are trampled by such unlawful maneuvers,” he said. (HA/VK)