Turkish cartoonist Zehra Ömeroğlu has been on trial for four years on charges of “obscenity” over a cartoon she drew in November 2020 about the effects of COVID-19.
The latest hearing in her case, monitored by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), was held on September 26 at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance. Ömeroğlu, known for her work in the satirical magazine Leman, faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
The court requested details of the outcome of Ömeroğlu’s previous lawsuit challenging the “obscene” classification by the Obscene Publications Board, a regulatory body responsible for reviewing, classifying and censoring materials deemed to be obscene, such as publications, films, art and other media.
Additionally, the court has requested a new expert report from a panel of three public university experts to assess the cartoon’s “literary and artistic value.” The next hearing is set for February 6, 2025.
The trial, which began on October 5, 2022, has faced multiple delays. Some of these postponements resulted from the Obscene Publications Commission’s failure to submit a report on the cartoon’s alleged obscenity. This commission, operating under the Ministry of Family and Social Services, has been criticized for stalling the case, raising concerns about Ömeroğlu’s right to a fair trial.
On January 24, 2024, Cartooning For Peace condemned the repeated delays, arguing that they violate Ömeroğlu’s right to a fair trial as guaranteed by Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Her case has garnered widespread media support but has also led to social media harassment, including death threats.
Ömeroğlu previously emphasized that the trial’s implications extend beyond her situation: “This process and the political climate we are in are damaging not only for me or the magazine but also for freedom of expression and artistic production.”
Turkey, which became the world’s biggest prison for journalists in 2018, during a state of emergency imposed after the coup attempt, was ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by RSF.
