Journalist arrested and jailed over 'Erdoğan has died' report

A journalist in Turkey has been arrested and subsequently jailed over a social media post that falsely reported President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's death. İrem Delice, a reporter for Aydın Denge Gazetesi, was initially released under judicial control but was detained again after prosecutors appealed the decision.

The investigation began after the newspaper's social media account shared a graphic with the text 'Erdoğan has died.' This led to an inquiry into the charge of 'spreading misleading information to the public.' Several individuals from the newspaper, including its representative Emin Aydın, editor-in-chief Yeşim Ülker, and reporters İslam Keleş and İrem Delice, were initially detained.

While İslam Keleş was released after questioning, Aydın, Ülker, and Delice were initially freed on judicial control. However, the Aydın Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's objection prompted a new arrest warrant for Delice, leading to her imprisonment by a duty criminal judgeship. The case highlights the legal scrutiny faced by media outlets in Turkey concerning their online content.