Photographer Yasin Akgul says he’ll proceed on his path ‘with much more reporting’ following his acquittal.
Revealed On 27 Nov 2025
A Turkish courtroom has acquitted 4 journalists accused of collaborating in an allegedly illegal demonstration they had been protecting in Istanbul earlier this yr.
The ruling was issued on Thursday morning after the courtroom discovered no proof that the media employees – a photographer with the AFP information company and three native journalists – had dedicated any offence, based on AFP and native media stories.
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These cleared are AFP’s Yasin Akgul, Ali Onur Tosun of Turkish broadcaster NOW Haber and freelancers Bulent Kilic and Zeynep Kuray.
Turkiye’s Hurriyet Each day Information reported three different journalists had additionally been acquitted.
The reporters had been arrested in March amid a mass protest motion triggered by the arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who’s a critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish authorities has rejected accusations of political interference, insisting the judiciary acts independently.
They, together with 1000’s of protesters, had been accused of violating Turkiye’s Legislation 2911 on conferences and demonstrations – a measure rights teams say is used to curb peaceable meeting.
Supporters of Legislation 2911 say that it’s mandatory for public order to manage all protests and assemblies. They cite its authorized foundation for dispersing gatherings that impede public motion or violate safety directions.
‘Journalists should be allowed to work unhindered’
AFP, which had repeatedly referred to as for Akgul’s acquittal, hailed the courtroom determination.
“AFP welcomes the acquittal of Yasin Akgul and his colleagues. This case towards photographers doing their job on the streets of Istanbul ought to by no means have been introduced,” Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s world information director, mentioned.
“Journalists should be allowed to cowl demonstrations and protests unhindered,” he added.
Media rights group Reporters With out Borders (RSF) additionally welcomed the choice in a case it has described as “illegal”.
AFP’s Akgul mentioned the choice was anticipated though it got here late. “Now that the psychological pressure of the trial course of and my problem in focusing are gone, I’ll proceed on my path with much more reporting,” he advised AFP after the decision. “The proper determination has been made. I hope that different journalists who’re nonetheless inside can even be freed as quickly as attainable.”
