3 YouTubers doing street interviews placed under house arrest

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The owners of YouTube channels doing street interviews were taken into custody in the morning hours yesterday (December 12).

Arif Kocabıyık, the owner of İlave TV; Hasan Köksoy, the owner of "Kendine Muhabir" (Reporter to Himself); and Turan Kural, the owner of "Sade Vatandaş" (Plain Citizen) YouTube channels appeared before the judge today. Kocabıyık, Köksoy and Kural have been released to house arrest with an internationa travel ban by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace.

Opposition İYİ Party Central Disciplinary Board member and lawyer Ömer Faruk Dağ has announced the release of YouTubers.

What happened?

The owners of YouTube channels doing street interviews were taken into custody in the morning hours on Sunday (December 12).

The owners of the "Kendine Muhabir" (Reporter to Himself) and "Sade Vatandaş" (Plain Citizen) channels announced their detention on their social media accounts. Hasan Köksoy, the presenter of the "Kendine Muhabir" YouTube channel, was arrested last week, along with the person who answered his questions in Antalya, over the remarks of the interviewee.

Upon the appeal against their arrest, Hasan Köksoy and the interviewee were released. Köksoy's spouse, who did street interviews when Hasan Köksoy was arrested, said on social media, "The police raided our house at 7 am today and have taken away our computers and all devices of communication. The police have now taken my spouse Hasan Köksoy to a vehicle and taken him away. The reason for the search warrant is Mücahit Birinci," who is the Central Decision Making and Administrative Committee member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Mehmet Koyunu, the owner of the "Sade Vatandaş" YouTube channel also said on social media, "The police came to my house in a dawn raid at this hour. At this hour? I have not been detained as I am in İstanbul. To the house of a journalist! The situation of the country is apparent."

Arif Kocabıyık, the presenter of the İlave TV, and the camera operator of the channel were also taken into custody. (RT/HA/SD)