AHMET SEVER
Journalist Ahmet Sever was acquitted of defamation charges in a retrial following a Constitutional Court ruling that his freedom of expression had been violated. The fourth hearing of the case took place at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, where the court determined that the alleged crime lacked the necessary elements.
Case background
The charges stemmed from a 2016 interview Sever gave to Cumhuriyet newspaper. In the interview, Sever, who had served as press advisor to former President Abdullah Gül, claimed that a social media group referred to as “AK trolls” was directed by Mustafa Varank, who at the time was a presidential advisor to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Varank filed a defamation complaint, and in an earlier trial, Sever was fined 10,620 Turkish lira. However, the court deferred the judgment (HAGB), suspending the sentence. Sever then appealed to the Constitutional Court, which ruled in 2023 that his right to freedom of expression had been violated, prompting a retrial.
Retrial and acquittal
At the latest hearing, Sever’s lawyer, Oya Aydın Göktaş, argued for acquittal based on the Constitutional Court’s decision. The prosecutor maintained their request for a conviction.
The court ultimately acquitted Sever, ruling that the charges did not meet the criteria for defamation under the law.
Significance of the ruling
This acquittal underscores the ongoing tension between freedom of expression and defamation laws in Turkey, where journalists frequently face legal challenges for critical reporting or commentary. The Constitutional Court’s intervention in Sever’s case highlights the judiciary's role in balancing individual rights with public figures' reputations.
