Legal counsel for detained reporter, Deniz Yucel, appeared before the Turkish Constitutional Court [official website] to request his release, his employer Die Welt said [Die Welt report] Wednesday. Yucel was detained in mid-February, and has been held by the Turkish government since. The charges against Yucel include the production of terrorist propaganda and incitement of the population. According to Die Welt, lawyers alleged that the continued detainment was in violation of numerous rights including Yucel’s right to personal liberty, fair trial and freedom of expression. Yucel had previously reported [BBC report] on e-mails appearing to show nepotism by the president. The Turkish criminal court had refused earlier objections.

Since a failed coup attempt in July the Turkish government has taken several controversial steps to strengthen its power. Last month Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights urged [JURIST report] Turkey to “change course and to display the responsibility and tolerance expected in a democratic society.” The commissioner’s document comes amid increased scrutiny of Turkey’s treatment of journalists and other members of Turkish society, allegedly leading to the repression of free speech and self-censorship. At the end of January a judge for the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals ordered the release of a Turkish judge [JURIST report] who was involved in adjudicating a Rwandan genocide case and had been incarcerated since July. Earlier in January the Turkish Parliament approved a plan [JURIST report], which, if approved by vote later this year, would increase presidential power within the country and would allow President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to stay in office until 2029.