A court has acquitted seven journalists and two politicians who were on trial for participating in a demonstration in İstanbul’s Şişhane district last year, held in response to the killing of two Kurdish journalists in northern Syria.
The İstanbul 24th Heavy Penal Court issued the verdict after hearing final defense statements from the defendants' lawyers. The court ruled that there was no criminal element in the actions of journalists Hayri Tunç, Gülistan Dursun, Pınar Gayıp, Serpil Ünal, Can Papila, Muhammet Enes Sezgin, Osman Akın, and politicians Hacı Ugiş and İmam Şenol, and acquitted each defendant.
The case stemmed from a protest on Dec 21, 2024, one day after journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were killed while reporting in northern Syria. Local sources reported that an airstrike, likely by an armed drone, struck the vehicle they were in. Turkey carried out intensive drone strikes in Syria's north over the past few years, but did not claim responsibility for this particular bombing.
Following the incident, several journalist organizations, including the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association, and the Press Union of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK Basın-İş), called for a demonstration. Journalists and political figures gathered in Şişhane to read a press statement.
Police intervened during the protest and detained 30 people, including seven journalists. All were later released, but nine individuals faced prosecution on charges of "terrorist propaganda" and violating Turkey’s Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations. (HA/VK)
