Some 200 journalists appeared in court in 102 trials in Turkey from October to December, while the number of journalists in jail rose from 26 to 34 in the same period, according to a quarterly report from the Expression Interrupted project, reflecting the challenging legal landscape faced by media professionals in the country.
Expression Interrupted, part of the Punto 24 Independent Journalism Association (P24), has published its 12th Freedom of Expression and Press Agenda report.
According to the report, out of the 102 cases heard by courts of first instance during this period, 27 were concluded, with 11 resulting in the conviction of journalists.
In the 11 cases, 18 journalists were sentenced to a total of 24 years, 11 months and 16 days in prison, along with a fine of TL 19,860 ($551).
Investigations were launched into 44 journalists in the last three months of 2024. In addition, 25 new indictments were drafted against 21 journalists and five media outlets, while 58 journalists and media workers were taken into custody in the same period.
The most common charges faced by journalists are terrorism-related, including disseminating terrorist propaganda and membership in a terrorist organization, in 24 and 20 cases, respectively.
Other frequent charges faced by journalists include insulting a public official, in 18 cases, and insulting the president of Turkey in 13.
At least 20 incidents involving attacks, obstruction, violent police intervention, threats or targeting of journalists and media organizations were recorded in the last quarter of 2024.
Impunity
Trials concerning the violation of journalists and media organizations’ rights continued during the reporting period, with verdicts issued in five cases. In two of these cases, two of the three defendants were acquitted, and one received a suspended sentence along with a TL 4,800 ($133) fine.
The report said that rulings reinforced the sense of impunity for crimes against journalists.
Restrictions on freedom of the press were also covered in the report. Among the significant incidents were the halting of Açık Radyo’s broadcasts following the revocation of its license by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK); a ban on the distribution of several issues of the Yeni Yaşam newspaper published in October and November; the blocking of the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency’s website; the restriction of at least 119 social media accounts — including those of journalists and news websites — on charges of “disseminating terrorist propaganda”; and the limitation of access to social media platforms X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok following an attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on the facilities of Turkish defense contractor TUSAŞ that killed five people in Ankara in October.
RTÜK continued to exert financial pressure on media organizations in the last three months of 2024, imposing fines totaling over TL 31 million, mainly on broadcasters critical of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), for allegedly violating the principles of broadcast journalism with certain expressions used in news and discussion programs.
The rampant online censorship in Turkey has appeared in the reports of international organizations as well.
A report from the Washington-based Freedom House noted that authorities in Turkey frequently censor online content and harass individuals for their social media posts. Turkey was ranked the lowest-scoring country in Europe for online freedom.
According to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey was ranked 158th out of 180 countries.