Second hearing in the Hakan Tosun murder trial today

The second hearing of the trial regarding the death of journalist, documentary filmmaker, and ecology activist Hakan Tosun will be held today at the Bakırköy 17th High Criminal Court.

Tosun was attacked in the middle of the street while on his way home in Istanbul's Esenyurt district on October 10, 2025, and passed away on October 13 at Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, where he had been taken in critical condition.

In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, life imprisonment is sought for the detained suspects, 19-year-old A.M. and 25-year-old A.Ş., on charges of "intentional killing."

WHAT IS IN THE INDICTMENT?

In the 11-page indictment, the prosecution alleged that the two suspects attacked Tosun with "unity of intent and action" and with the "intent to kill." The cause of Tosun's death was recorded as "internal bleeding, brain hemorrhage, and brain tissue damage due to head trauma."

In their statements, the suspects claimed they acted in self-defense. A.M. stated, "I hit him to push him away from me," while A.Ş. claimed, "When I arrived at the scene, the intoxicated individual was unconscious. I then left the scene."

During the first hearing of the case held on May 6, the court panel decided to continue the detention of the two suspects.

Prior to the first hearing, there was police intervention during a press statement in front of the courthouse, and it was reported that there were restrictions on the access of journalists and observers to the courtroom.

Ahead of the second hearing, Hakan Tosun's family and lawyers called for the trial to be held in a larger courtroom due to the expected high attendance. It was stated that the case's lawyers, professional organizations, and human rights defenders would also be present at the courthouse.

Following Tosun's death, numerous ecology platforms and institutions published messages of support demanding that the incident be clarified. CHP İstanbul Deputy Zeynel Emre also submitted a parliamentary question to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), stating that the potential connection of the attack to his journalistic activities should be investigated.

Born in Istanbul in 1975, Hakan Tosun entered the media sector in 1993 as a technical consultant when private radio stations began broadcasting. Later working as a news montage operator for local television stations, Tosun turned to documentary filmmaking starting in 2009.

Focusing on themes of nature, urban struggle, and social resistance, Tosun was known for productions such as "Çatılara Doğru" (Towards the Roofs), "Tekel İşçileri" (Tekel Workers), "Büyük Anadolu Yürüyüşü" (Great Anatolian March), "Dönüşüm (Gentrification)" (Transformation), and "Validebağ Direnişi" (Validebağ Resistance).