Van - MLSA client and journalist Nimet Ölmez, who is on trial for allegedly insulting AKP Hakkari Provincial Chairman Zeydin Kaya through social media posts, defended her actions as freedom of expression and requested acquittal. The case, which accuses Ölmez of "publicly insulting a public official," was held at the Hakkari 1st Criminal Court of First Instance, with Ölmez providing her statement remotely from the Van 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on April 22, 2024.
Ölmez, represented by Fatih Aydın from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) and Bayram Baykal, Vice President of the Van Bar Association, stated that her intention was not to insult but to draw attention to a grave issue. The charges stemmed from Ölmez sharing a video of journalist Timur Soykan, where Soykan claimed that Zeydin Kaya had represented three individuals accused of sexually abusing a child in Şemdinli, a district of Hakkari.
In her defense, Ölmez clarified that she did not personally know Zeydin Kaya and that her tweet was aimed at highlighting the case of a 13-year-old girl who was driven to suicide after being abused. She emphasized that the incident had already gained substantial public attention and her post was in response to existing comments. Furthermore, Kaya had later stated in press releases that he was not the attorney on record for the case and also clarified that he was not a public official, factors Ölmez believes negate the element of crime in her actions.
Ölmez argued that her comments were protected under the rights to freedom of expression, particularly relevant to her role as a journalist. The Van 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance has forwarded her statement to the Hakkari court for further proceedings.
