Turkey’s most frequently arrested reporter, Furkan Karabay, under house arrest

Istanbul, January 26, 2026—Turkish authorities should immediately cancel the order of house arrest for reporter Furkan Karabay and let him do his job, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. 

Police in Istanbul took Karabay, a court reporter currently with the news website Medyascope, into custody and a court placed him under house arrest on the suspicion of “publicly spreading disinformation.” His trial will begin in March. The accusations stemmed from his reporting on the indictment of the opposition-controlled Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Karabay spoke to reporters after the hearing and said his work was based on legal documents and that he will continue to report for the public benefit. 

“Turkish authorities keep arresting Furkan Karabay — once every year since 2023 — for reasons directly linked to his professional work,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “This vengeance is a cautionary tale for critical journalists. The authorities should free Karabay without delay and let all journalists do their jobs without fear of retaliation.” 

Karabay has been arrested four times in less than two-and-a-half years, and he has been imprisoned for his work in very similar cases brought against him in December 2023, November 2024, and May 2025. He was released from prison last month after spending more than 200 days behind bars.

Karabay told CPJ Monday that he was at home waiting for the law enforcement officers to come to set up the electronic monitoring system. House arrests take a high toll on journalists’ life both professionally and psychologically, other reporters who’ve been through it told CPJ. 

CPJ recognizes house arrest as imprisonment. 

CPJ’s email requesting comment from the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office did not receive a reply.