During a trial prompted by a complaint from President Erdoğan's former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal, journalist İzel Sezer made a defense statement. İnal's lawyer criticized the journalists' extended statements, saying "They have been talking since morning," and dismissed their courtroom requests as a "show."
The fourth hearing of the case against İzel Sezer, Editor-in-Chief of İleri Haber, and Batuhan Batan, Responsible Managing Editor, took place at the Istanbul 25th Criminal Court of First Instance. The journalists were accused of "publicly insulting with a voice, written, or visual message" and "defamation" following a complaint by İnal.
"We are being tried for journalistic activity," Sezer stated, appearing in court with her lawyer, Özgür Urfa. İnal's lawyer, Ferah Yıldız, also attended. Sezer rejected the offer to defer the announcement of the verdict (HAGB), questioning the legitimacy of the charges based on a news story about the legal action against them.
Asserting the legitimacy of their work, Sezer declared, "Every report in İleri Haber adheres to journalistic principles. We are proud, not regretful, of our work. Like other trials against journalists, this one too will be a dark mark in Turkey's history of press freedom." She cited the case of veteran journalist Nazan Özcan, who was acquitted in a similar case.
Sezer concluded her defense by stating, "The news report in question falls within the scope of press freedom and does not contain any element of a crime. I reject all the accusations against me and request an acquittal."
Sezer's lawyer, Özgür Urfa, insisted that she had no intention of committing a crime and requested testimony from Barış Terkoğlu, author of the book "Cendere," which was mentioned in the news report, and Ahmet Şık, a deputy who spoke about the allegations. Urfa also sought to include a related file from the Istanbul 13th Civil Court of First Instance in the case.
Responding, İnal's lawyer, Yıldız, noted the continuation of their complaints and dismissed the journalists' defense as a mere show, saying, "They have been talking since morning." Yıldız requested no reduction in the potential sentence, citing Sezer's lack of remorse.
The court rejected Urfa's requests, finding they would not add anything new to the trial. The case was forwarded to the prosecution for the preparation of their opinion and postponed to June 13, 2024.
