An Istanbul court accepted an indictment against DW Turkish correspondent Alican Uludağ, ruled it had no jurisdiction over the case, and then transferred the file to Ankara.
The Istanbul 26th Criminal Court of First Instance first accepted the nine-page indictment and ordered that Uludağ should remain in detention. It then declared that Istanbul courts lack jurisdiction because both his residence and the social posts at the center of the case were linked to Ankara, and referred the file to a criminal court there.
Uludağ, detained on Feb. 20 after being taken from Ankara to Istanbul, faces three charges based on 22 social media posts: insulting the president, denigrating the government and judicial bodies, and spreading misleading information. If convicted on all counts without reduction, the court reporter could face up to 19 years and six months in prison.
Uludağ’s lawyers had already argued that the case should be handled in Ankara, challenging his initial transfer to Istanbul.
Soon after the arrest of Uludağ, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said jurisdiction depends on the location of the alleged offense, noting that courts could later issue a non-jurisdiction ruling or a release decision.
If an Ankara court also accepts the indictment, the trial is expected to proceed in the capital, with the possibility of Uludağ being transferred to a prison there. If no Ankara court takes up the file, then the case will be referred to the Court of Cassation which would decide where he should be judged, possibly extending his stay in jail.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is listed as a complainant in the indictment.
Uludağ’s lawyers also filed an individual application to the Constitutional Court, arguing that his detention violates personal liberty and security, as well as freedom of expression and the press.
