First hearing of case against journalists starts in Ankara

The first hearing of the case brought against Diren Yurtsever, the Editor-in-Chief of the Mezopotamya Agency and 11 journalists, started at the Ankara 4th High Criminal Court.

Diren Yurtsever, Editor-in-Chief of the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) was sent to prison on 29 October after being detained on 25 October 2022 as part of an investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office,

The first hearing of the case brought against MA reporters Berivan Altan, Ceylan Şahinli, Deniz Nazlım, Emrullah Acar, Hakan Yalçın and Selman Güzelyüz, JINNEWS reporters Habibe Eren and Öznur Değer, MA reporter Zemo Ağgöz, and Mehmet Günhan, who worked as an intern at the MA Ankara office for a while started at the Ankara 4th High Criminal Court.

The hearing was attended by 10 imprisoned journalists.

Representatives from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), International Press Institute (IPI), Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS), DİSK Basın-İş, representatives of the Contemporary Journalists' Association (ÇGD) Ankara Branch and the Human Rights Association (İHD) Ankara Branch attended the hearing.