Call for Trial of 6 Journalists: #ReportingCannotbeCriminalized

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Six journalists three of whom are in detention on remand, who have been tried for making report of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak’s emails that were leaked by Redhack, will appear before judge on October 24.

In order to draw attention to the trial of Tunca Öğreten, Mahir Kanaat, Ömer Çelik, Derya Okatan, Metin Yoksu and Eray Sargın, their colleagues made a call on Twitter with the #ReportingCannotbeCriminalized hashtag.

Diken’s former editor Tunca Öğreten, closed Dicle News Agency (DİHA) News Director Ömer Çelik, BirGün daily newspaper staff Mahir Kanaat have been detained on remand; DİHA correspondent Metin Yoksu, Yolculuk newspaper Editor-in-Chief Eray Sargın and ETHA Managing Editor Derya Okatan have been pending trial without arrest.

The people they follow and who follow them on social media, their postings and reports are included as evidence in the indictment prepared by Public Prosecutor Yakup Ali Çelik.

What happened?

Diken’s former editor Tunca Öğreten, closed Dicle News Agency (DİHA) News Director Ömer Çelik, BirGün daily newspaper staff Mahir Kanaat, DİHA correspondent Metin Yoksu, Yolculuk newspaper Editor-in-Chief Eray Sargın and ETHA Managing Editor Derya Okatan were detained on December 25, 2016 due to their reports of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak’s emails that were leaked by Redhack.

Öğreten, Kanaat and Çelik were arrested, Yoksu, Okatan and Saygın were released on probation on January 18.

Arrested as part of the same investigation, Die Welt reporter Deniz Yücel’s case was separated. (EA/TK)