The fifth hearing of the trial in which journalists Mehmet Aslan, Esra Solin Dal, and Erdoğan Alayumat are charged with “membership in an organization” was held at the Istanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court. During the hearing, a confidential witness with the code name “K8Ç4B3L1T5” was heard. Mehmet Aslan stated that the secret witness did not recognize him and that the statements did not reflect the truth. The secret witness left most of the questions unanswered. In his defense, Aslan said that he had started journalism of his own free will and that the allegations were baseless. The court postponed the hearing until April 7, 2026, for the prosecutor to prepare his opinion on the merits.
January 22, 2026
MLSA Turkey