July 2, 2024
Eylem Sonbahar
Journalists Elif Akgül and Haluk Kalafat have been acquitted of charges of "publicly insulting the Turkish nation" under Article 301/1 of the Turkish Penal Code, related to their coverage of the Armenian Genocide in Bianet.
The fifth hearing of the trial was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Akgül and Kalafat were represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), with lawyer Veysel Ok present. Observers included MLSA Co-Director Barış Altıntaş, CPJ Turkey representative Özgür Öğret, RSF Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu, and representatives from the Clooney Foundation and other journalists.
The charges stemmed from a book review titled "Armenian Genocide Headlines in the World Press" and other related articles published on Bianet. The prosecution reiterated its sentencing request from October 19, 2023.
In a previous hearing, attorney Veysel Ok presented various legal documents, including Bianet's credentials, acquittals in similar Article 301 cases involving human rights activists and lawyers, and reports from Lawyers for Lawyers and MLSA.
Reaffirming his previous statements, Ok requested acquittal for the journalists. After a brief recess, the court ruled that the act did not constitute a crime under the law, leading to the acquittal of Elif Akgül and Haluk Kalafat on charges of "publicly insulting the Turkish nation."
