MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Lawsuit against bianet editor Evrim Kepenek
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Evrim Kepenek
CITY
Rize
YEAR OF INTERFERENCE
2021
LAST UPDATED
01/11/2022
TYPE OF STATEMENT
Political
MEDIUM
Internet
Internet News Portal
THE TITLE OF WHOSE RIGHT IS INTERFERED
Journalist
RIGHTS GUARANTEED UNDER THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Right to Impart Information and Ideas
TYPE OF INTERFERENCE
Judicial Interference
Public Prosecution Offices
Opening a criminal investigation
THE LEGAL GROUNDS FOR INTERFERENCE
Turkish Penal Code
Art. 125/1

Arrested for abusing his 6-year-old child and released on probation afterwards, Refik Y. filed a criminal complaint against bianet editor Evrim Kepenek, who covered the incident and made it publicly known. Refik Y. reportedly filed a criminal complaint against the journalist on charges of insult and violation of privacy when he was in prison. Kepenek gave her statement at the Rize Ardeşen Şehit Halis Karoğlu Police Department as part of the investigation (August 9). 

A lawsuit has been filed against Kepenek on charge of “insult” upon the criminal complaint of Refik Y., who was arrested for abusing his 6-year-old child and was later released on probation (December 29).

At the hearing held on June 21, the court accepted the excuses of Kepenek and her lawyer after the defenses and rejected the request of the defendant Refik Y.’s lawyer for a warrant for bringing by force. The court also ruled that the result of the trial where Refik Y. was charged with “sexual abuse of a child” should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on November 1 (June 21).

At the hearing held on November 1, 2022, the court accepted Kepenek’s lawyer’s request for time to submit the other news reports about the issue to the case file. The next hearing will be held on February 21, 2023 (November 1).