- Doğan Pehlevan, a cartoonist for Turkish satirical magazine LeMan, was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison on a charge of “insulting the president” over a post published on an X account that his defense said did not belong to him and from which he did not make the post in question.
- The court handed down the sentence despite the defense arguing that there was no proof the account belonged to Pehlevan.The court deferred the announcement of the verdict.
Semra Pelek
The fifth hearing in the case was held at Istanbul’s 36th Criminal Court of First Instance without Pehlevan in attendance. His lawyers, Bilge Batur and Samet Fidan, were present, along with a lawyer representing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the complainant in the case.
Pehlevan’s lawyer Bilge Batur said the X account from which the post at the center of the charge was published did not belong to her client. Batur said prosecutors had failed to establish that the account belonged to Pehlevan. She also argued that a source-research report cited in the indictment had been prepared improperly and could not be used as evidence.
Batur said that even if the post were assumed to have been made by Pehlevan, its content did not amount to an insult, and she asked the court to acquit her client.
Pehlevan’s other lawyer, Samet Fidan, also stressed that it had not been confirmed that the account belonged to his client.
“It has not been established whether the account belongs to our client. A conviction cannot be based on improperly obtained evidence,” Fidan said, also seeking Pehlevan’s acquittal.
The prosecutor at the hearing reiterated the opinion submitted at the previous hearing. Arguing that the alleged act had been established, the prosecutor asked the court to convict Pehlevan of “insulting the president” under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The court ruled that the elements of the offense had been established and sentenced Pehlevan to 11 months and 20 days in prison for “insulting the president.” Because the sentence was less than two years, the court deferred pronouncement of the judgment.
About the case
Pehlevan had previously been jailed pending trial in the “insulting the president” case. At a hearing on Nov. 18, 2025, he said the X account at the center of the charge did not belong to him. The court ordered his release on condition that he report to authorities once a week and remain subject to a travel ban.
The case is being handled separately from another prosecution stemming from a cartoon published in the June 26, 2025, issue of LeMan. In that case, Pehlevan is being tried on a charge of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility or degrading the public.” Pehlevan was jailed pending trial in that case before later being released.
In the same case, LeMan’s managing editors, its administrative manager and a graphic designer were also jailed pending trial and were released on Sept. 26, 2025. Pehlevan’s trial in that case is continuing.
