Çiçek Tahaoğlu
13 June - In a trial initiated by a complaint from President Erdoğan's former lawyer, Mustafa Doğan İnal, the prosecutor has recommended the acquittal of İleri Haber executives.
The fifth hearing of the trial against İzel Sezer, Chief Editor of İleri Haber, and Batuhan Batan, Managing Editor, was held today at Istanbul 25th Criminal Court of First Instance. The journalists were charged with "public insult through an audio, written, or visual message" and "slander" due to a news article titled "Once again, journalism is on trial," published on December 6, 2021.
The prosecutor argued for their acquittal, asserting that the journalists did not commit any crime. Mustafa Doğan İnal's lawyer, Mehmet İnal, disagreed with the prosecutor's opinion and requested additional time to respond. The defense lawyer, Özgür Urfa, supported the prosecutor's view and highlighted that the defendants were being prosecuted merely for reporting on a case in which they were themselves defendants.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 17, 2024.
