Court rejects lifting of ban to travel abroad imposed on 6 journalists

A new hearing of the trial against 6 journalists working for the newspaper Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, which was closed by Statutory Decree (KHK), was held at Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court in Çağlayan.

Journalists Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Mehmet Ali Çelebi, Hicran Urun, Ishak Yasul, Pınar Tarlak and Ihsan Yaşar, are on trial on charges of “being a member of a terrorist organization”, “making propaganda for a terrorist organization”, “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” and “helping an illegal organization”. Lawyers Özcan Kılıç and Sercan Korkmaz demanded corrections in the file and that the ban on travelling abroad be lifted.

While the court accepted the lawyers’ demand for corrections to be made in the file, it rejected the application for the lifting of the ban on travelling abroad.

The next hearing has been scheduled for 17 February 2022.