Court releases seven journalists after arrests over protests

ISTANBUL

A Turkish court has released seven journalists who were arrested while covering protests that erupted following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Among those taken into custody earlier this week were photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, AFP photographer Yasin Akgül, Now TV reporter Onur Tosun, Bakırköy Municipality photographer Gökhan Kam, Istanbul Municipality photographer Kurtuluş Arı, as well as journalists Hayri Tunç and Zeynep Kuray.

The court had initially ruled for arrest on charges of violating the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations.

On March 27, authorities confirmed the journalists’ release.

"It is imperative to scrutinize the specifics of these cases. No one wishes for journalists to be detained," Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç told reporters in Ankara a day before the decision.

"It is beyond our purview to have direct access to case files. Let us investigate the circumstances surrounding the journalists in question to ensure there is no miscarriage of justice,” he said.

The protests have resulted in the detention of 1,879 individuals, with 879 placed under arrest, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on March 27.

Among them, 12 individuals were identified as having affiliations with terrorist organizations, the minister said on X.

Authorities also ascertained that several detainees had prior criminal records spanning 17 distinct offenses, including narcotics-related crimes and aggravated assault.

Additionally, 150 police officers were injured during the unrest, Yerlikaya said.