Sevda Aydın
In the retrial of journalist Sultan Eylem Keleş, who is accused of "insulting the president," the prosecutor has requested a conviction following a ruling by Turkey’s Constitutional Court that identified rights violations in the original trial.
The hearing, held at İzmir’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, was attended by Keleş and her lawyer, Sefkan Işık, from the Media and Law Studies Association’s (MLSA) Legal Unit. The case stems from Keleş’s social media posts, which led to charges of "publicly and repeatedly insulting the president." In her defense statement, Keleş argued that her posts did not constitute a crime and referred to the Constitutional Court’s earlier violation ruling, requesting her acquittal.
Her lawyer, Işık, contended that the posts fell under the protection of freedom of expression and also sought an acquittal. However, the prosecutor maintained that the posts were criminal and called for Keleş to be sentenced. The court granted the defense additional time and adjourned the trial to Jan. 29.
The indictment alleges that Keleş used the term "murderer" in social media posts directed at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, then prime minister, on Feb. 18, 2015, and June 26, 2015. Keleş has countered these accusations by arguing that Erdoğan was not yet president at the time of her posts, rendering the charges invalid.
Previously, Keleş applied to the Constitutional Court, asserting that her initial trial was unfair. The court ruled in her favor, finding that her rights had been violated, which led to the retrial. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 29.
