MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Ahmet Altan – trial for “insult”
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Ahmet Altan
CITY
İstanbul
LAST UPDATED
26/01/2023
TYPE OF STATEMENT
Political
MEDIUM
Print Media
Newspaper
THE TITLE OF WHOSE RIGHT IS INTERFERED
Editor / Editor-In-Chief
RIGHTS GUARANTEED UNDER THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Right to Impart Information and Ideas
TYPE OF INTERFERENCE
Judicial Interference
Criminal Courts
Approval of the indictment and initiating the prosecution
THE LEGAL GROUNDS FOR INTERFERENCE
Turkish Penal Code
Art. 125/1

In the court case heard by the İstanbul Anadolu 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, journalist Ahmet Altan is standing trial for allegedly insulting the then Court of Cassation President Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya with his column article “Preparation for a coup or shutting down Kemalism” published on Taraf newspaper in 2008.

After the court of appeals upheld the sentence given by the İstanbul Anadolu 32nd Criminal Court of First Instance in another trial on charge of “insulting the President of the Republic” in March 2018, this case file where the prosecution was previously suspended was opened again 10 years later.

On February 18, 2021, at the 4th hearing of the court case where Ahmet Altan is standing trial on charge of “insulting a public officer” at the İstanbul Anadolu 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, the court board ruled that a writ should be issued to ask whether the file returned from the Court of Cassation. The next hearing will be held on June 8 (February 18).

At the hearing held on June 8, 2021, the court board ruled that the Court of Cassation’s examination of the ruling handed down by the İstanbul 32nd Criminal Court of First Instance, which laid the ground for the file to be opened again, should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on November 18, 2021 (June 8).

Ahmet Altan and his lawyer did not attend the hearing on November 18, 2021 by offering an excuse. The next hearing will be held on April 19, 2022 (November 18).

At the hearing held on April 19, 2022, the İstanbul 32nd Criminal Court of First Instance had it taken down that the file had not yet returned from the Court of Cassation. The court ruled that it should be once again asked whether the file came back from the Court of Cassation or not. The next hearing will be held on October 4 (April 19).

At the hearing held on October 4, 2022, Altan and his lawyer were not present in the courtroom. The court ruled that it should be questioned whether the file at the İstanbul 32nd Criminal Court of First Instance had returned from the Court of Cassation. The next hearing will be held on January 26, 2023 (October 4).

At the hearing held on January 26, 2023, the court ruled that it should be asked whether the file at the İstanbul 32nd Criminal Court of First Instance had been returned from the Court of Cassation. The next hearing will be held on June 22 (January 26).