By HAYRİ DEMİR
Journalists Barış Pehlivan and former Cumhuriyet Newspaper Publication Coordinator Mustafa Büyüksipahi, who are on trial for "insulting a public official," saw a divergence in their fates as the prosecuting authority recommended a sentence for Pehlivan and an acquittal for Büyüksipahi.
The eighth hearing of their trial, based on the accusation of "insulting a public official," was related to their news reports about former member of the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) Hamit Kocabey and his lawyer son Nizameddin Kocabey, who allegedly resigned following instructions from the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli. The hearing took place today, February 7, 2024.
Neither Pehlivan nor Büyüksipahi attended the hearing at the Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance, but their lawyers were present.
The prosecution presented its opinion on the merits of the case, requesting that Pehlivan be punished for the charges against him, while Büyüksipahi should be acquitted.
The trial was postponed to June 4, 2024, at 11:30 AM, to allow for the defense statements against the prosecutor's opinion.
