Eylem Sonbahar
An Istanbul court has sentenced BirGün newspaper’s board chairman, İbrahim Aydın, to a judicial fine of 2,610 Turkish lira ($85) over a news report titled They called the thief a thief and got sued, following a complaint by Bilal Erdoğan, the son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The trial, held at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, stemmed from allegations of "insult" against Aydın due to the newspaper’s coverage. The case had been reopened after a previous ruling in 2016, which had postponed the announcement of the verdict, was overturned.
At the hearing, Erdoğan’s lawyer maintained his client’s complaint and requested Aydın’s punishment. The prosecutor, presenting the final opinion on the case, argued that the February 27, 2015, news report in BirGün constituted "insult through the press" and called for Aydın’s conviction.
Aydın, rejecting the charges, stated that the expressions in the article amounted to strong criticism rather than insult and fell within the scope of freedom of expression.
After a brief recess, the court ruled in favor of sentencing Aydın to a judicial fine.
