Eylem Sonbahar
Uğur Koç, Responsible Editor-in-Chief of the BirGün newspaper, has been sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison for 'insulting the president'. The conviction is related to a news report about a sexual assault on a dog, where a photo of the perpetrator, which also included President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's photo in the background, was deemed insulting. However, the sentence has been deferred.
This decision was made during the fifth hearing of the case against Koç at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Koç did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer, Ali Deniz Ceylan, was present. President Erdoğan’s lawyer, Erem Gençer, also attended the session where the prosecutor reiterated the sentencing opinion initially stated on February 15, 2024. Gençer agreed with the prosecutor's opinion, advocating for Koç's punishment.
Ceylan defended Koç, stating that the photograph in question was likely sourced from social media and accessible via a Google image search. He argued that the mere presence of a photo of a convicted individual with another person does not imply insult towards that person. Ceylan highlighted BirGün newspaper's consistent journalistic style, noting that any criticism of the President by the newspaper would be direct and unequivocal. He contended that the sentencing opinion was disproportionate and not necessary, as the material and moral elements of the alleged crime were not formed, and requested Koç's acquittal.
Despite these arguments, the court decided to impose a prison sentence on journalist Uğur Koç for 'insulting the president', but deferred the execution of the sentence.
