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Istanbul Court Acquits Four Journalists Charged During Protest Coverage

The Istanbul court has acquitted four journalists who were accused of participating in an unlawful demonstration while reporting on protests earlier this year. The defendants — photographer Yasin Akgul, broadcaster Ali Onur Tosun and freelancers Bulent Kilic and Zeynep Kuray — were cleared after judges found no evidence of wrongdoing. Their arrests followed mass protests sparked by the detention of Istanbul's mayor. Observers say the ruling raises important questions about press freedom and the enforcement of Turkey's Law 2911.

02:57 AM, 11/28/2025Society
Istanbul Court Acquits Four Journalists Charged During Protest Coverage

A Turkish court on Thursday acquitted four journalists who had been accused of taking part in an allegedly unlawful demonstration they were covering in Istanbul earlier this year. Judges found no evidence that the media workers committed any offence, and the defendants were cleared of charges related to unlawful assembly under Law 2911.

The journalists freed by the ruling are photographer Yasin Akgul, broadcaster Ali Onur Tosun and freelancers Bulent Kilic and Zeynep Kuray. Local reporting also indicates that three additional journalists were found not guilty in the same proceedings.

The arrests took place in March amid mass protests that followed the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a well-known critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Authorities had accused the journalists, along with thousands of demonstrators, of violating Turkey's Law 2911 on meetings and demonstrations — a statute critics say is often used to restrict peaceful assembly, while supporters argue it is necessary to maintain public order and public safety.

The court's decision drew immediate reactions from press freedom advocates. A global news director welcomed the acquittals and said such cases should not be brought against reporters doing their jobs on the streets.

"Journalists must be allowed to cover demonstrations and protests unhindered," the director said.

One of the acquitted journalists, Yasin Akgul, said he had expected the outcome despite the trial's strain. He described the process as psychologically taxing but said he would return to reporting with renewed commitment. "The right decision has been made. I hope that other journalists who are still inside will also be freed as soon as possible," he added.

Context and implications

Rights groups have criticized the use of Law 2911 to detain and charge journalists covering protests, arguing it has a chilling effect on press freedom and peaceful assembly. Supporters of the law counter that it provides legal grounds to disperse gatherings that block public movement or breach security directives.

The acquittals remove criminal charges from the record for the four journalists and underscore ongoing tensions in Turkey over media freedom and the policing of public demonstrations. Observers say the case will be watched closely by journalists and human-rights advocates concerned about the limits placed on reporting during public unrest.

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