Eylem Sonbahar
Turkish journalist Orhan Bursalı has been sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison for "illegally obtaining or disseminating personal data" after sharing an image of a residence permit on social media during the 2023 presidential election period. Bursalı had reposted the image with a caption that read, "Please do not allow people with this ID to vote."
The third hearing in the case was held at Istanbul Anadolu 28th Criminal Court of First Instance. Bursalı, a columnist for the Cumhuriyet newspaper, did not attend the session, but his lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, was present. The prosecutor, repeating the final opinion presented on Jan. 30, argued that Bursalı had committed the crime by sharing an image of the complainant’s identification card and called for his conviction.
In response, Ermaner argued that his client’s actions fell under journalistic activity and did not constitute a crime. He stated that Bursalı had reshared an image that was already publicly available, adding his own comment to highlight concerns about election security. "All personal data is already widely circulated in the public domain," the lawyer said. "My client, as a journalist, aimed to draw attention to this issue and to election security. He had no specific intent to disclose personal data. We request his acquittal."
The court ruled that Bursalı had committed the crime of "illegally obtaining or disseminating personal data" and sentenced him to 1 year and 8 months in prison. However, the announcement of the verdict was deferred, meaning the sentence will not be enforced unless he commits another crime within a specified period.
