Turkey: Journalist İsmail Arı Jailed Under Disinformation Law in Violation of Due Process

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Turkish authorities detained journalist İsmail Arı, a reporter for the opposition daily BirGün, on March 21, 2026, in the northern province of Tokat, where he was visiting family. He was transferred to Ankara, where a court placed him in pretrial detention on March 22 on a charge of "spreading misleading information." Both the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the detention, with RSF describing the judicial procedure as having been violated.

The Circumstances of the Arrest

Arı was taken into custody in Tokat and transported to the capital Ankara before being brought before a court. CPJ reported that Turkish authorities "must immediately release journalist İsmail Arı and stop misusing the disinformation law." RSF stated that the manner of his detention — away from his usual place of residence and transferred across provinces — violated standard judicial procedure.

The charge of "spreading misleading information" stems from a 2022 amendment to Turkey's law on internet regulation, which introduced criminal penalties of one to three years' imprisonment for publishing content deemed to "spread misleading information" about internal and external security, public order, or general health. The law has been widely criticised by press freedom organisations as a tool for silencing journalists and critics.

Turkey's Press Freedom Record

Turkey has persistently ranked among the world's top jailers of journalists in recent years. The 2022 disinformation law, passed ahead of national elections, has been used to target journalists, opposition figures, and social media users. RSF ranked Turkey 158th out of 180 countries in its 2025 Press Freedom Index, citing systematic judicial harassment of journalists and a culture of impunity for those who attack the press.

BirGün, the daily for which Arı works, is an independent left-wing newspaper that has faced repeated legal pressure under the current government. Its reporters and editors have faced investigations, lawsuits, and detentions.

The severity of these charges, including potential multi-year imprisonment, makes clear that this disinformation law is being used not to combat falsehoods but to suppress legitimate journalism and dissent.

Committee to Protect Journalists, March 23, 2026

Demands from Press Freedom Organisations

Both CPJ and RSF are calling on Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release İsmail Arı, drop all charges against him, and cease the misuse of the disinformation law against journalists. The organisations are urging Turkey to repeal the 2022 disinformation amendment and align its media legislation with international human rights standards on freedom of expression, as required under Turkey's commitments as a Council of Europe member state.

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists — Reporter İsmail Arı imprisoned in Turkey