Barış Pehlivan and Mustafa Büyüksipahi, former Chief Editor of Cumhuriyet newspaper, are on trial at Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance on charges of “insulting a public official” (TCK 125/3) for their news reports on Hamit Kocabey, a former member of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK).

At the fifth hearing held on November 21, the court decided to ask the Ankara 39th Criminal Court of First Instance for information on the merger decision and adjourned the trial to December 7 (November 21).

The trial of Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance, Pehlivan and Büyüksipahi were tried on charges of “insulting a public official” due to their news about Hamit Kocabey, a member of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), and his lawyer son Nizameddin Kocabey, continued on February 7. While the court demanded punishment for Pehlivan, it requested the acquittal of Büyüksipahi. The hearing was adjourned until June 4 (February 7).

The sixth hearing in the trial of Mustafa Büyüksipahi and Barış Pehlivan on the charge of “insulting a public official” was held at the Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 June 2024. While Pehlivan did not attend the hearing, his lawyer Onat Doğu Akoluk was present. The trial was adjourned until 3 July 2024 to obtain Pehlivan’s defense statement (June 4th).

The seventh hearing of the case was held at the Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance on July 3. The court acquitted both defendants (July 3).