A court in Ankara has convicted seven journalists for “recording audio and video” during a trial, according to a report by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
The case concerns the journalists' May 2024 coverage of the final hearing of the Kobanî case, a high-profile trial targeting more than 100 Kurdish politicians, including former MPs and party leaders.
The Ankara Western 14th Penal Court of First Instance ruled that law enforcement had documented the journalists using phones and tablets during the session, concluding that “the crime has been proven.”
The case was processed under a simplified trial procedure, and the court issued sentences without opening a formal hearing. Prison terms of one month were reduced to 18 days, with some sentences converted to fines. Damla Kırmızıtaş’s verdict was postponed, while Fatih Polat was subjected to a stricter regime due to a previous conviction.
'Only evidence was a police report'
The journalists’ lawyers argued that their clients did not record any audio or video and that the only evidence was a police report.
They said no technical analysis or concrete recordings were found, adding that the journalists were simply performing their public duty to inform.
The defense also criticized the ruling as an excessive interference with press freedom, noting that no explicit ban was communicated during the trial.
The convicted journalists are Damla Kırmızıtaş, Derya Okatan Albayrak, Fatih Polat, Fırat Can Arslan, Handan Ceren Bayar, Hüseyin Hayatsever, and Kaan Can Bircan.
Investigations initially targeted 21 journalists. Some reporters from Hürriyet, ANKA News Agency, Ulusal Kanal, SZC TV, VOA, Gazete Duvar, Evrensel, Reuters, and Medyascope accepted a simplified prepayment, while the cases of seven who refused proceeded to trial. (HA/VK)
