While the court acquitted Dogan Ergün and Izel Sezer of “insult” and “libel,” it convicted the journalists of “disclosure of personal data.” Two journalists have received prison sentence for reporting on bribery allegations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s former lawyer.
The case against the former editor-in-chief of the Ileri Haber news portal, Dogan Ergün, and its current editor-in-chief, Izel Sezer, was opened upon the complaint of lawyer Mustafa Dogan Inal
The sixth hearing of the trial, held at the 33rd Penal Court of First Instance in Çaglayan, was attended by Ergün, Sezer, and their lawyers.
Before the hearing, the court announced that the motion for disqualification of the judge, requested by the lawyer Özgür Urfa on behalf of Sezer and Ergün in the previous session, had been rejected by the Istanbul 2nd Heavy Penal Court.
The prosecutor in the trial demanded punishment for Sezer and Ergün on charges of “open insult,” “unlawful disclosure of data obtained by recording non-public conversations through the press and media,” and “libel.”
In their individual defenses against the charges, Sezer and Ergün stated that the news in question was made in accordance with journalistic principles and emphasized that it fell within the scope of freedom of expression.
Sezer said, “I hope today we will see a legal decision rather than a political one,” while Ergün stated, “The conversations are not only about corruption allegations but also involve pressuring independent courts to protect the rights of a foreign company. I believe the case will be concluded in accordance with the law.”
Urfa, the lawyer representing the journalists, argued, “Investigations against Mustafa Dogan Inal are newsworthy worldwide due to his role as the lawyer of the President.” He also stated that it is not a crime to report on information that has become public.
Following a recess, the court announced its verdict, acquitting Sezer and Ergün of the charges of “insult” and “libel” but sentencing them separately to 1 year and 8 months in prison for “unlawful disclosure of data obtained by recording non-public conversations through the press and media.” The court suspended the sentences for both journalists.
“We will continue to stand up for the truth”
After the journalists received the prison sentence, they made a statement outside the courthouse. Sezer said that there was no legal decision in the case and added, “The allegations we reported have news value everywhere in the world. Unfortunately, today marks a black stain on Turkey’s press freedom history. The Palace regime is trying to create a profile of journalists who only praise it. They are trying to intimidate all journalists who report against them through detentions, lawsuits, and investigations.”
Sezer also noted that the trial of journalist Sezgin Kartal, who was arrested on January 10 and will be held on June 22, will take place and said, “As journalists who work to fulfill a public duty by adhering to principles, we will stand up for the truth, for the people’s freedom to receive and disseminate news, and we will continue to stand up for them.”
RSF: The verdict is a denial of journalism
Erol Önderoglu, the Representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Turkey, expressed his reaction, saying, “Journalists resort to private data to prove a crime. Sentencing Dogan Ergün and Izel Sezer based on the complaint of Erdogan’s former lawyer Inal is denial of journalism. ‘There is no libel, but let’s impose a sentence based on private data’ logic is wrong!”
What happened?
In their book “Cendere” journalists Baris Terkoglu and Baris Pehlivan claimed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s former lawyer, Mustafa Dogan Inal, engaged in bribery negotiations.
At that time, Ahmet Sik, who was an independent member of parliament and currently an Istanbul deputy for the Turkey Workers’ Party (TIP), shared the recording of the alleged bribery negotiation on Twitter.
Ileri Haber reported on Sik’s tweets as “allegations” on December 2 and 16, 2020. However, Mustafa Dogan Inal filed a complaint regarding the news.
As a result, Dogan Ergün and Izel Sezer were charged with “open insult,” “unlawful disclosure of data obtained by recording non-public conversations through the press and media,” and “libel.”
The indictment claimed that Inal’s “honor, dignity, and reputation within society” were harmed.
Source: English Bianet