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October 23, 2025 – Turkey –
Journalist Ercüment Akdeniz was ordered released from pre-trial detention by the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court, after spending roughly eight months (243 days) behind bars in connection with an investigation tied to the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK).
Akdeniz had been detained since 21 February 2025 under charges that included alleged “membership in a terrorist organization”, linked to his reporting and association with HDK-linked persons. During his hearing on 23 October, the court released him under judicial control, imposing a travel ban rather than the continuation of his detention. The decision came despite the prosecutor’s request that his detention be continued because the alleged offense was among “catalog crimes” and that a strong suspicion of guilt remained.
Key witnesses in the case had offered shaky testimony: one could not recall his previous statement, and another had died in 2017, undermining the evidence basis. Advocates for press freedom see Akdeniz’s release as a modest victory in a context where journalists in Turkey are frequently subject to extended pre-trial detention on broad “terrorism” charges related to their reporting activities.
While the release of Akdeniz removes him from immediate incarceration, his trial continues and remains a stark reminder of the pressures on independent journalism in Turkey. The conditions of his detention, the broad sweep of the probe, and the limited evidence place his case in the spotlight of international concern over freedom of the press and the misuse of anti-terror laws in criminal proceedings against media workers.
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