Elif Bayburt, a reporter for the leftist Etkin News Agency (ETHA), was among the field reporters and photojournalists who were taken into custody after covering protests that erupted following the imprisonment of Istanbul’s opposition Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in late March 2025.
On March 28, Istanbul police detained Bayburt and Nisa Sude Demirel, a reporter with leftist daily Evrensel, at their homes. They were both released under judicial control the following day pending trial.
Bayburt, Demirel and 27 other defendants were charged with violating Turkey’s related laws about public gatherings and not disassembling when asked by the police in a trial that began on April 25. Both journalists pleaded not guilty and stated that they were present at the protests as journalists, not as participants. The trial has been delayed until October 10, 2025.
CPJ’s email requesting comment from the chief prosecutor’s office in Istanbul did not receive a reply.