The first hearing of the lawsuit filed against Mezopotamya Agency (MA) editor Sedat Yılmaz, who was detained in Amed (Diyarbakır) on 29 April through an Ankara based investigation and jailed on 3 May World Press Freedom Day, was held at Diyarbakır 4th Heavy Penal Court on Thursday. The journalist is accused of "being member of an illegal organisation" and "establishing and leading an illegal organisation".

The secret witness "Ulaş", who connected to the hearing via Audio and Video Informatics System (SEGBİS), tried to criminalise the news agencies Yılmaz worked for by associating them with the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union).

"Ulaş" had testified in the preliminary proceedings that the so-called “KCK Press Committee” is led by Mustafa Karasu and that Sedat Yılmaz had illegally crossed the Turkish-Iraqi state border to meet Karasu in the guerrilla region of Xakurke. At his court hearing today, the key witness said that Yılmaz had travelled by plane from Turkey to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Lawyer Şule Recepoğlu stated that her client had conducted an interview with Mustafa Karasu during the "peace negotiations" between 2013 and 2015. The lawyer submitted the interview as evidence and said that many journalists were in the guerrilla area for reports during that time.

MLSA Co-Director and Yılmaz's lawyer Veysel Ok pointed out that Yılmaz works for the Kurdish press and stated that there is no evidence for the accusations against him. "There is no evidence on which the accusation is based," Ok said, adding, "There is no legal explanation for the arrest, let alone detention. There is no legal ground for this. All legal legislation is being turned upside down. Only 3 pages of the 43-page indictment are related to Sedat. The prosecutor has done his best to hide the data in his favour."

The defendant rejected the accusation and said: "I am here because I am Kurdish, because I am a Kurdish journalist and because I work for Kurdish media. For this reason alone, I have been in prison for eight months without any evidence of a criminal offence."

Yılmaz stated that there are allegations in the indictment that he "carries out activities at ANF at a responsible level and that this coincides with the SSI records" and said that there is no such information in the SSI records. Yılmaz stated that even the prosecutor said that ANF does not broadcast in Turkey and that his comment in an ANF news article titled "Reaction to the arrest of Hüseyin Aykol" about the arrest of journalist Hüseyin Aykol was presented as if he was working for ANF.

Announcing its interim decision after the defence hearings, the court ruled to release Yılmaz with a ban on leaving the country and adjourned the hearing to 29 February 2024.

After almost 8 months in prison, the Kurdish journalist was released from Diyarbakır Closed Prison, welcomed by his family and colleagues from Dicle Fırat Journalists’ Association (DFG) and Mesopotamia Women Journalists’ Association (MKG).

Speaking after his release, the MA Editor said, "Kurds somehow end up in prison. Unfortunately, you are taken in, you are kept in prison for 7 months without any questioning. You are somehow put in prison with empty police roles and games. There is no point in all this. Today we are released, tomorrow we will be arrested again, because we continue to carry out a risky and dangerous profession and we will continue to do so. Therefore, individual freedoms have no meaning in this country. Thousands of people behind the walls are struggling for life under very harsh conditions and circumstances. Therefore, my soul, mind and brain remained with the people behind these walls. I hope I can do something for them. I can put forward something for them with my profession and journalism. I thank you all very much, it is an honour for me to see you all again and come together."