Turkey Jails Seven Journalists As Protests Erupt Over Opposition Leader’s Arrest

Journalists Remanded After Initial Release

Seven journalists were sent to custody by an Istanbul court on Tuesday for reporting mass protests initiated by the arrest of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top political opposition. The ruling added up to more than 1,400 arrests in the government crackdown.

Among those arrested was AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, who was observed being led away by officials. At first, the court had ordered Akgul and six other journalists to be released on condition but later changed its mind. They were all arrested in Monday’s early morning sweeps.

 

Outcry Over Press Freedom Violations

Press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounced the arrests as “scandalous,” noting that this was the first time a clearly recognized journalist had been officially arrested under Turkey’s assembly and protest laws. RSF representative Erol Onderoglu warned that the decision indicated a declining situation for press freedom in Turkey.

International organizations, such as the Council of Europe, condemned the authorities over the use of excessive force against protesters. Police behavior was termed “deeply shocking” by Amnesty International, while Human Rights Watch urged that Turkey faced a “dark time for democracy.”

 

Protests and Political Fallout

Protests have erupted across the country after the March 19 arrest of opposition Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Confrontations between protesters and riot police using water cannons, pepper spray, and rubber bullets have been constant.

Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel replied by urging a boycott of government-supporting businesses and media outlets that did not report the protests. Imamoglu, just elected as the opposition CHP’s 2028 presidential candidate, called his arrest a politically charged “execution without trial.”

His arrest has provoked stern condemnation from European capitals, with Germany, France, Greece, and the EU condemning the act. Though under detention, Imamoglu promised to persevere in his political struggle through pronouncements issued by his lawyers.