The Rize 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance held the first hearing of the trial of journalists Gençağa Karafazlı and Şenol Öksüz on February 17, 2026, and postponed the case until June 4. The journalists were tried on charges of “violating the privacy of private life” for reporting on a private toilet installed in the office of Rize Provincial Director of National Education Halil İbrahim Akmeşe. The defendants and their lawyers argued that the news report fell within the scope of press freedom and requested acquittal.
February 17, 2026
Dicle Fırat Gazeteciler Derneği