Turkish prosecutors have filed an indictment seeking aggravated life sentences for two suspects in the killing of environmental journalist Hakan Tosun, who died after a brutal assault in İstanbul in October 2025, the BirGün daily reported on Tuesday.
The indictment, accepted by the Bakırköy 17th High Criminal Court, charges Abdurrahman Murat and Adnan Şahin with killing with intent under Article 81/1 of the Turkish Penal Code. The first hearing is scheduled for May 6.
Prosecutors said the suspects acted with intent to kill rather than to injure, citing forensic findings, witness statements and security footage showing the victim was repeatedly punched and kicked, with blows concentrated on his head.
A report by Turkey’s Council of Forensic Medicine found that the journalist died from a brain hemorrhage and severe tissue damage caused by blunt head trauma, establishing a direct link between the assault and his death. The indictment also states that the attack was carried out jointly and in coordination.
The charges mark a shift from an earlier draft indictment that had classified the incident as “intentional injury resulting in death,” a lesser offense that drew criticism from the victim’s lawyers, who argued that the nature of the assault indicated clear intent to kill.
The indictment, however, does not include charges against a third individual identified only by the initials Y.Ö., who appears in security footage returning to the scene and taking one of the suspects away on a motorcycle. In his testimony he said he had tried to remove a friend from the scene, despite objections from the family’s lawyers.
The 50-year-old journalist was attacked on the evening of October 10 in İstanbul’s Esenyurt district while on his way home. He died on October 13 after several days in intensive care.
The killing of Tosun, known for his reporting on environmental issues and opposition to development projects, triggered widespread condemnation from journalists’ unions, rights groups and opposition politicians, who called for a thorough and transparent investigation.
The case has also attracted international attention. The Council of Europe’s Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists cited the killing in a report as one of the most serious recent attacks on media workers in Turkey.
The report pointed to a pattern of intimidation including physical attacks, prosecutions and detentions targeting journalists, reflecting a broader deterioration in freedom of the press.
It is common for journalists to face physical violence and judicial harassment in Turkey while engaging in their profession.
Turkey, which has been suffering from a poor record of press freedom, was ranked 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).