A trial in which freelance journalist Sertaç Kayar faces up to 22 years in prison on the charge of “establishing and leading a terrorist organization” resumed on 5 April at the 10th High Criminal Court of Diyarbakır.
P24 monitored the hearing, where Kayar and his lawyer Şivan Cemil Özen were in attendance. Issuing an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, the court adjourned the trial until 26 June, awaiting the testimony of a witness mentioned in the case file, to be heard by a High Criminal Court in the Çorum province.
This was the third hearing in the case, where Kayar is accused based on his coverage of demonstrations and public statements in Diyarbakır.
5 February 2019: Sertaç Kayar acquitted of “propaganda” charge
Journalist Sertaç Kayar on 5 February appeared in the second hearing of a trial where he was charged with “propaganda” for his social media posts. At the end of the hearing, the 4th High Criminal Court of Diyarbakır acquitted Kayar of the charge although the prosecution requested punishment for the journalist. Source
26 September 2018:
A court on September 26 acquitted freelance photojournalist Sertaç Kayar of "making propaganda for a [terrorist] organization" during the first hearing of his trial in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, Evrensel reported. Police investigated Kayar on accusations of "making targets of those assigned to combat terrorism" after he took a photograph on March 8 that included two police officers in the frame, according to the report. The charge was later changed into "making propaganda." Kayar said the police were in the frame by mistake, according to the report. documented.
Freelance journalist Sertaç Kayar on June 22 appeared before a court in Diyarbakır for the first hearing of a case against him, in which the accusations are based on his news stories and his social media posts. Addressing the 10th High Criminal Court of Diyarbakır during the hearing, Kayar said he was not an activist but a journalist. The court adjourned the trial.*