Journalist and Dicle Fırat Journalists Association co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu was placed in prison on May 3rd, 2023, World Press Freedom Day, as part of the investigation filed by the Public Prosecutor of Ankara. The investigation that targeted 49 people including five already under arrest was concluded three months later. The Public Prosecutor sent the indictment to the Ankara 28th High Criminal Court. However, rejecting the indictment, the court returned it to the prosecutor. Due to the confidentiality order on the indictment, the reason for its return is unknown.
Dicle Müftüoğlu was born in the Doğubeyazıt district of Ağrı in 1984. She completed her elementary and secondary education in Doğubeyazıt. She graduated from the Biology Department of Celal Bayar University. She has been working as a journalist since 2008 in various cities including İstanbul, Diyarbakır, Mardin, and Şırnak. She took on the roles of reporter, editor, and editor-in-chief at the institutions she worked at.
A lawsuit was filed against Müftüoğlu for a social media post she had shared in 2014. The indictment asked for a prison sentence of one to five years for Müftüoğlu on the charges of “making propaganda for an illegal organization”. On the first hearing of the trial held on December 2nd, 2020 in Diyarbakır, Müftüoğlu was sentenced to one year and three months in prison on the charges of “making propaganda for an illegal organization” with a decision on delaying the pronouncement of the verdict.
Müftüoğlu and her colleagues founded a news site named “dihaber” after the Dicle News Agency (DİHA) where Müftüoğlu had been co-chair was shut down due to Statutory Decree Law (KHK) no 676 on October 29th, 2016. This news site was also terminated in 2017 with Statutory Decree Law no 693.
Müftüoğlu started working as an editor at the Mezopotamya News Agency that same year. Along with a few of her colleagues, she founded the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association and acted as co-chair. The purpose of the association was to prepare reports that would bring awareness to the violations committed against journalists and to share these reports with the public. They also acted as rights defenders by following up on the trials of their colleagues and providing legal support.
Journalist Aziz Oruç was arrested on December 18th, 2019, for “membership of an illegal organization” and “making propaganda for an illegal organization” during the trial held at Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court. Dicle Müftüoğlu was also tried without arrest at the same trial on the charges of “knowingly and willfully aiding an illegal organization” for helping fellow journalist Aziz Oruç. When the trial ended on January 18th, 2023, Müftüğlu received a 5-month prison sentence while Oruç was acquitted.
On January 14th, 2021, another investigation was initiated by the Public Prosecutor of Diyarbakır on Müftüoğlu on the charges of “making propaganda for an illegal organization” based on news posts she had shared from her social media accounts.
Police raided her home in the morning hours of June 3rd, 2022. After searching the vacant house, the police called Müftüoğlu in for questioning. Müftüoğlu was detained at the Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of Security where she had gone to give her statement. She was taken directly to court after giving her statement at the prosecution office for judicial control measures. She was being accused of sending money to her arrested colleagues Nedim Türfent and Ziya Ataman. A confidentiality order was placed on the indictment.
On April 29th, 2023, 19 people including Dicle Müftüoğlu were detained during police operations held in 15 cities as part of a different investigation based in Ankara. Of the 19 detainees, 15 were referred with the demand for arrest and three for judicial control to the Ankara Criminal Judgeship of Peace on Duty on May 1st. The court ruled on the arrest of journalists Sedat Yılmaz, Dicle Müftüoğlu, Erol Balcı, Abdurrahim Tanyeli and Ramazan Debe. Having been arrested on the World Press Freedom Day, Müftüoğlu was taken from Diyarbakır to Ankara by land and forced to travel in handcuffs for 15 hours. Müftüoğlu is currently being held at Sincan Prison. The indictment prepared by the Public Prosecutor has been returned by the Ankara 28th High Criminal Court on August 3rd, 2023. Due to the confidentiality order on the indictment, the reason for its return is unknown.
A new indictment was prepared against Müftüoğlu on September 6, 2023. The indictment, which included the same articles of accusation, was presented to the 19th High Criminal Court this time. The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction regarding the indictment submitted on September 13 and sent the file to Diyarbakır.
On 41 pages of the 43-page indictment against Müftüoğlu, the general structure and functioning of the PKK and KCK were explained. Remaining two pages included the statements of secret and open witnesses. In the indictment, based on the statement of a secret witness, it was claimed that Müftüoğlu worked at Mezapotamya Agency and was "intimate" with women's organizations in Diyarbakır. Müftüoğlu's meetings with her colleagues and news sources were shown as "organizational activity". Although it was claimed in the indictment that Müftüoğlu went abroad in 2014, the date of Müftüoğlu's departure abroad was 2017. Despite this, witness statements were included in the indictment.
Müftüoğlu's first hearing was held on December 7 at Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court. Witnesses did not attend the hearing while the court president was on leave. Müftüoğlu, who attended the hearing via SEGBİS from Sincan Prison, concluded her defense by saying "Journalism is not a crime." The court board announced its decision before the defense of the lawyers was finished and ruled for the continuation of detention.
The "Most Resilient Journalist Award" was given to Dicle Müftüoğlu by Free Press Unlimited on November 1, 2023.
At the second hearing on January 18, 2024, the court decided to continue the detention of Müftüoğlu and to hear the secret witness before the court. The next hearing will be held on February 29, 2024.
Müftüoğlu appeared before the judge for the third time at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court on February 29, on charges of 'establishing and leading a terrorist organization' and 'membership of a terrorist organization'. Müftüoğlu attended the hearing via SEGBİS from Sincan Women's Closed Prison, where she is detained. Many journalists and professional organizations followed the hearing. The prosecutor requested her continued detention, but the court decided to release Dicle Müftüoğlu with an international travel ban.
