DW correspondent Alican Uludag, accused of publicly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spreading misleading information and disparaging state institutions in a total of 22 social media posts, will appear in court for the first time on Thursday.
Uludag was arrested at his apartment in Ankara on February 19 and transferred to Istanbul, where he was placed in pre-trial detention. Although he is being held in Istanbul, his trial is taking place in Ankara. Despite his specific request to present his defense in person, Uludag is only allowed to participate in the proceedings via video conference.DW calls arrest a 'targeted attempt at intimidation'
Uludag's case is considered particularly noteworthy, as he is one of the few remaining journalists in Turkey who focus on reporting on the judiciary and court proceedings.
Following his arrest, DW Director-General Barbara Massing dismissed the allegations against him as baseless. She called his arrest a "targeted attempt at intimidation," and said his case demonstrated "the extent to which the government is massively repressing press freedom." Massing emphasized that Uludag has an excellent network and access to key sources. From the government's perspective, she said, this is precisely what could make him an inconvenient and potentially dangerous voice.
