- Writer Gökhan Yavuzel was acquitted in both lawsuits in which he was tried with the charge of “insulting the president” based on his social media posts and statements in a YouTube program.
- The court based its decision in both files on the justification that “the act attributed to the defendant is not defined as a crime in the law.”
In the two separate lawsuits filed against writer Gökhan Yavuzel, defended by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), based on his social media posts with the accusation of “insulting the president,” the hearings were held back-to-back on February 4 at Şanlıurfa 16th Criminal Court of First Instance.
In the case where Yavuzel was tried on the charge of “insulting the president” due to statements he made in a YouTube program, the prosecutor demanded his punishment. However, the court ruled for acquittal on the grounds that “the act attributed to the defendant is not defined as a crime in the law.”
In the other case, in which the writer was tried over expressions used on social media about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, the prosecutor also requested punishment. The court, in this file as well, ruled for Yavuzel’s acquittal based on the same justification.
