Cansu Pişkin, İstanbul – Çağrı Sarı, the former managing editor of Evrensel newspaper, faces defamation charges of ‘attacking personal rights’ over her reporting on the 2017 Paradise Papers leak. Her hearing was held today at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, and was adjourned until February.
Last year the controversial financial transactions of many politicians and businesspeople were exposed in the Paradise Papers leak. Many excerpts from and analyses of the leaked documents were published in Evrensel, prompting Minister of Energy Berat Albayrak and his brother Serhat Albayrak to file a complaint against Sarı on the grounds of an ‘attack on personal rights’.
This was the fourth time the charges have been heard before the court. Sarı was not in attendance but was represented by her lawyer Devrim Avcı. Muhammed Cemil İmamoğulları, lawyer for the Albayrak brothers, also represented his clients in their absence.
A presiding judge in the case was replaced at the previous hearing, so the court proceedings began with the reading of past reports. Sarı’s lawyer Avcı then requested extra time to prepare and submit a written defense statement and translated copy of the Paradise Papers documents. The court agreed to the request and adjourned the hearing until February 19.
Updated: November 27 2018
