Kurdish writer Adil Başaran has been arrested
Başaran, who has detained on the basis of the activities of the Democratic Society Congress and the press statements he attended in 2015 and 2019, has been arrested.
Actress Nilüfer Aydan sentenced to imprisonment due to “insulting the President”
The court sentenced actress Nilüfer Aydan to 11 months and 20 days in prison on the grounds of her social media posts, and ruled the deferment of the announcement of the verdict.
Webinar/ Freedom of Artistic Expression: What happened to the canary in the coal mine?
In this panel we will refresh our basic knowledge on the artistic freedom of expression – which rights and freedoms it covers, by which means and actors it is banned, what are the relevant national and international laws and mechanisms – and search for answers to the following questions:
Exhibition in memory of women victims of violence was attacked; paintings were lost
93 works were lost in the attack organized by unidentified people to the exhibition opened by 104 artists from different countries in memory of women victims of violence
The decision regarding the obscene children’s books is on trial: “The Ministry objects to the expert reports”
The trial about the case of the restriction decision against four children’s books treated as obscene publications was held on 8th of March. The ministry previously objected to the ‘not obscene’ reports regarding the books prepared by the independent experts. Alican Acanerler from the Speak Up Platform spoke to the lawyer Ümit Erdem who filed the case ongoing since 2019
One more book published by Avesta Yayınları pulled off the shelves
Mersin 3rd Criminal Court of Peace ruled the pulling of the book titled ‘Şehitler Hainler ve Yurtseverler: Körfez Savaşından Günümüze Kürdistan’ (Martyrs, Traitors and Patriots: Kurdistan from the Gulf War to the Present) published by Avesta Yayınları in 2007 off the shelves. The publisher stated they have notified the pulling of the book written by Sheri Laizer off the shelves four years later
YouTuber sentenced to jail for 4 years and 2 months for making a parody video
Social media influencer named “Porçay” was given a prison sentence of 4 years 2 months on the grounds of “encouraging the use of narcotic and psychotropic substances”. Ali Gül, the lawyer of Porçay, told that they have tried to explain to the court that everything was just humor and parody since the year 2018
The book “Dr. Said” was banned
Selim Çürükkaya’s book named “Dr. Said: We Lost the Lock of the Mountains” was banned by the decision of the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The book is about the life of the peshmerga commander.
Comedian Emre Günsal sentenced to prison: “62 days for each minute I stayed on the stage”
A verdict was issued in the ongoing trial of comedian Emre Günsal, who was on trial over remarks made during his stand-up performance. Günsal shared the verdict on his social media account, saying, “I got three years and five months of imprisonment for a 20-minute stand-up.”
Yenikapı Theatre actors taken into custody
Five of the 47 people taken into custody in the İzmir-centred ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed) operation were detained. Another five people were confined to house arrest. 27 people, among whom five theatre actors who are also participants to the Speak Up Platform, were released on a judicial control decision.