EYLEM SONBAHAR
In a trial stemming from a 2016 article titled "The most useful judge of the palace regime", journalist İnan Kızılkaya was fined 7,080 TL for "insulting a public official," while the court decided to separate the case file of journalist Can Dündar due to an unexecuted arrest warrant against him.
The case was heard at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. It involves a report published in the now-closed Özgür Gündem newspaper during a solidarity campaign in which prominent journalists served as guest editors to support press freedom.
Court imposes fine on Kızılkaya and separates Dündar’s file
The prosecutor reiterated their November 7 opinion, requesting Kızılkaya’s conviction and the separation of Dündar's case file, citing the prolonged inability to execute an arrest warrant against Dündar.
The court ruled that Dündar’s file would be separated to avoid further delays in the proceedings. It sentenced Kızılkaya to a fine of 7,080 TL, concluding that the offense of "insulting a public official" had been established.
Case background
The lawsuit was filed after a complaint from Judge Bekir Altun, who claimed the article in the June 22, 2016, edition of Özgür Gündem insulted him. The article was published during a period of heightened government pressure on critical media, with Özgür Gündem later shuttered by a decree under Turkey’s state of emergency.
Significance
This trial is part of a broader pattern in which journalists face legal repercussions for critical reporting in Turkey. While the fine against Kızılkaya underscores ongoing limitations on press freedom, the separation of Dündar’s case reflects the continued targeting of high-profile exiled journalists.
