May 24, 2024 - Journalist Onur Öncü is facing two separate lawsuits due to his social media posts. One lawsuit, filed under the so-called "censorship law," relates to a post about alleged election fraud. The other lawsuit involves a post about Taner Ay, who was mentioned in Sedat Peker’s disclosures, and claims that Öncü insulted Ay’s memory.
The investigation into Öncü, represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), is being conducted in Istanbul. It began under the now-invalid "virtual patrol" practice, which was annulled by the Constitutional Court of Turkey two years ago. Following the general elections held on May 14, 2023, Öncü posted on social media alleging that in the Haliliye district of Urfa, 82 votes cast for the Green Left Party at polling station number 1120 were misattributed to the Justice and Unity Party. This post led to a lawsuit under Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code, commonly referred to as the "Censorship Law," accusing Öncü of "publicly disseminating misleading information."
The second indictment was prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Reconciliation Bureau. It pertains to a social media post about Taner Ay's death, which was disclosed by Sedat Peker. Öncü is accused of "publicly insulting a person's memory" based on this post. The lawsuit was filed following complaints from Ay’s parents, Çetin and Sevilay Ay.
