30 January 2015
Ibrahim Aydın, Chair of the Board of BirGün newspaper, was sentenced to a judicial fine of 2,610 TL in the trial filed upon the complaint of Bilal Erdoğan, son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, over the article titled “They called the thief a thief, and they were sued,” published in BirGün.
The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance heard the case, which was retried after the 2016 verdict of postponement of the announcement of the judgment (HAGB) was overturned. Aydın and his lawyer were present at the first hearing of the retrial.
The complainant’s lawyer demanded Aydın’s conviction. The prosecutor argued that the article published on 27 February 2015 constituted “insult through the press” and requested punishment.
In his defense, Aydın said the article was a form of harsh criticism within the scope of freedom of expression. After a recess, the court sentenced him to a judicial fine of 2,610 TL.
