Hacıoğlu, reporter for the pro-Kurdish Dicle News Agency (DİHA), was arrested in Uludere District of Şırnak province. He was accused of being a member of the banned Union of Communities in Kurdistan, or KCK, of which the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is part.
Hacıoğlu was also accused of possessing illegal firearms and bullets, according to a list of imprisoned journalists provided by the Turkish Justice Ministry in November 2013 at CPJ’s request. Hacıoğlu’s lawyer at the time, Tırşenk Bartan, told CPJ that the weapons accusation stemmed from the presence in the journalist’s family home of an old rifle, which belonged to his father. The journalist denied any wrongdoing.
Bartan told CPJ that Hacıoğlu was questioned about his phone conversations with sources, his reporting notes, and videos he had taken for newsgathering activities. DİHA, which is known as a pro-Kurdish news agency, often covers human rights issues, including those of the Kurdish minority.
Bartan also said that Hacıoğlu was detained with several canned goods in his car, which authorities said was a form of logistical support for the Kurdish rebels. Bartan said that the journalist was taking the goods to a festival and had no ties to an outlawed organization.
Hacıoğlu was being held in Mardin E Type Closed Prison. No formal charges had been filed against him as of late 2013; CPJ could not determine whether charges were filed in 2014.
Bartan told CPJ in late 2014 that she was no longer the journalist’s lawyer and did not know who had replaced her. DİHA also said it did not have information on who was representing Hacıoğlu.
According to a June 2014 report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, no trial date had been scheduled.