The acquittal of journalist Elif Akgül, who was tried for "spreading terrorist propaganda" due to her social media posts, has been upheld by an appellate court, making the ruling final. The case was defended by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
Akgül was arrested on Feb. 21 during operations targeting the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK). She was prosecuted in 2024 over two posts made on X (formerly Twitter) in 2018 and 2022. The charges stemmed from posts related to Turkey's military operation in Afrin in 2018 and a repost from Etkin News Agency in 2022. The Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court ruled in June 2024 that her posts did not constitute a crime, citing freedom of expression principles outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Following the acquittal, the prosecutor appealed the decision. However, the Regional Court of Appeals found no procedural or substantive errors in the lower court’s ruling and rejected the appeal, stating that the evidence was complete and the verdict was based on a sound legal assessment.
With the appellate court’s Feb. 6, 2025, decision to dismiss the appeal on substantive grounds, and no further appeal to the Court of Cassation, Akgül’s acquittal is now legally final.
