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September 10, 2025
📢 A coalition of press freedom organizations has called on Turkish authorities to dismiss charges against investigative journalist Furkan Karabay, citing concerns over press suppression and misuse of counter-terrorism laws.
Karabay, arrested in mid-May, has spent over 100 days in pre-trial detention. He faces six to fifteen years in prison under charges filed by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau. The indictment accuses him of “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other officials, allegedly making them “potential targets for terrorism.” The charges are based on Articles 299 and 125 of the Turkish Penal Code and Article 6/1 of the Counter-Terrorism Law.
🗞️ The allegations stem from Karabay’s reporting on judicial proceedings involving members of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), where he named and published photos of judicial officials. He also faces additional charges for remarks made during a July 11 detention review, which authorities claim insulted the judiciary.
Karabay has pleaded not guilty, asserting that his reporting relied solely on publicly available information. Press advocates argue that equating journalism with criminal offenses undermines democratic accountability and freedom of expression.
📉 Türkiye ranks 159th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. The European Court of Human Rights previously ruled that Article 299 had been used to violate free speech protections.
The Committee to Protect Journalists and other advocacy groups warn that Karabay’s case reflects a broader pattern of punitive pre-trial detention and legal intimidation targeting critical voices in Turkish media.
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Juri Berger | Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, CH
