Journalist İsmail Arı faces defamation and insult charges after complaint from MHP MP Levent Uysal
The first hearing of journalist İsmail Arı’s trial, where he faces charges of "insult" and "defamation" following a complaint from MHP MP and Nişantaşı Education Foundation founder Levent Uysal, was held today at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Neither Arı nor his lawyer attended the hearing, having submitted an excuse for their absence.
Levent Uysal's lawyer, Ferhat Pamuk, was present and argued that Arı’s actions went beyond journalism and amounted to defamation. He stated, "The defendant’s actions are not related to reporting or opinion. His statements were defamatory, calling my client a 'fraud' and a 'land grabber.' We are maintaining our complaint. Every time we file a complaint, the defendant acts as if we are opposing freedom of expression, trying to gain fame from it."
The court set the next hearing for February 6, 2025.
Background
The charges stem from a series of articles published by BirGün reporter İsmail Arı in early 2024. The pieces included headlines such as "MHP member grabbed land worth a fortune" (January 19, 2024), "Fraud rewarded" (February 15, 2024), and "MHP MP is a Serbian citizen" (March 11, 2024). These reports prompted Uysal to file a complaint, leading to the current legal proceedings.
