The new Turkey
Duygu Güvenç
Journalist

23-Feb-2020

9 January 2020:

Trial of Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç adjourned until April

The fifth hearing in a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) took place on 9 January 2020 at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

The accusation stems from Uludağ and Güvenç’s reports about the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in pre-trial detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October 2018.

P24 monitored the hearing, where both journalists were represented by their lawyers. Granting defense lawyers additional time for their statements, the court adjourned the trial until 16 April 2020.

10 October 2019:

Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç’s trial on TCK 301 charge adjourned 
The fourth hearing of a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) took place on 10 October 2019 at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul.

Uludağ and Güvenç are accused on account of their reporting for Cumhuriyet newspaper about the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October 2018.

P24 monitored the hearing, where Duygu Güvenç and her lawyer Abbas Yalçın were in attendance. Güvenç presented her defense statement during the hearing and denied the accusation.

Güvenç’s lawyer told the court that his client faced another criminal case over the same news coverage, overseen by the 2nd High Criminal Court of Izmir, and asked the court to request the case file from the Izmir court. The lawyer also requested a continuance for Güvenç’s defense statement. Accepting Yalçın’s requests, the court adjourned the trial until 9 January 2020. 

4 April 2019:

Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç’s trial adjourned
The second hearing of a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” took place on 4 April at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul.
 
Uludağ and Güvenç are accused on account of their reporting in the Cumhuriyet newspaper on the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October.  
The trial was adjourned until 20 June because the judge was on leave.