EYLEM SONBAHAR
The prosecutor has requested that journalist Rabia Çetin be sentenced for 'targeting' while seeking her acquittal on the 'insult' charge about her retweet of a post from the 'Deniz Poyraz Case' Twitter account (now known as X Platform).
The second hearing in the trial against journalist Rabia Çetin, stemming from her retweet of a post on a social media account dedicated to Deniz Poyraz, who lost her life in an armed attack on the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Izmir Provincial Office on June 17, 2021, took place at Istanbul's 23rd Assize Court.
Çetin was absent from the hearing, with her legal representation provided by Merve Kurhan, an attorney affiliated with the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
The prosecutor presented their stance based on the charges of "targeting individuals involved in counterterrorism efforts" under Article 6/1 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) and "publicly insulting a public official due to their official duties" under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Çetin potentially faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
The prosecutor contended that journalist Çetin had indeed committed the alleged 'targeting' offense and urged for her sentencing in accordance with the regulations concerning "targeting individuals involved in counterterrorism efforts." However, the prosecutor clarified that the social media post presented as evidence in the indictment did not contain elements of 'insult.' Consequently, the prosecutor called for Çetin's acquittal on the charge of "publicly insulting a public official due to their official duties."
Defense attorney Kurhan requested additional time to prepare Çetin's defense in response to the prosecutor's arguments. The court granted this request and adjourned the hearing until November 6.
