MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Ahmet Sever – trial for “insulting the President of the Republic”
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Ahmet Sever
CITY
İstanbul
YEAR OF INTERFERENCE
2018
LAST UPDATED
13/09/2024
TYPE OF STATEMENT
Political
MEDIUM
Print Media
Book
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. 299

An investigation is launched against Ahmet Sever in December 2018 which then became a criminal prosecution.
The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of the First Instance tries Ahmet Sever, T24 author and the-then chief advisor of the 11th President, Abdullah Gül, for “insulting the President of the Republic” in his book called, “İçimde Kalmasın/Tanıklığımdır”.

In the last trial held on February 13, 2020, the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul decided to wait for the response to documents about Ahmet Sever who was abroad and to give his lawyer time to make defense within the scope of three files. The court adjourned the trial until 14 May (13 February).

Due to coronavirus pandemic, the trial was not held and deferred to September 15.

At the hearing held on September 15, the court accepted President Erdoğan’s request to participate in the file. Deciding to wait for the return of the international rogatory document regarding Sever’s defense from abroad, the court decided to adjourn the trial until 3 December 2020 (15 September).

Sever’s attorney presented an excuse for the hearing expected to be held on December 3, 2020. The next hearing will be held on March 23, 2021 (December 3).

At the hearing held on March 23, 2021, Ahmet Sever’s attorney Aydın requested that a reply to the request for rogatory in three files be awaited as it was seen that the request for taking the defense statement via letters rogatory had not yet been replied. The court board ruled that a reply to the request for rogatory should be awaited and its fate and whereabouts should be questioned. The next hearing will be held on September 9 (March 23).

At the hearing held on September 9, 2021, the court board rejected the request for writing a writ again; it ruled that the letters rogatory of Ahmet Sever should be awaited and its fate and whereabouts should be questioned. The next hearing will be held on December 23 (September 9). 

The hearing to be held on December 23, 2021 was adjourned until a later date as the judge was on leave (December 23).

At the hearing held on April 14, 2022, the court ruled that the return of the letters rogatory on Sever should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on October 6 (April 14).

At the hearing held on October 6, 2022, Sever’s lawyer Filiz Aydın was present in the courtroom. Aydın requested that the arrival of the letters rogatory be awaited. The court accepted this request and adjourned the trial until January 31, 2023 (October 6).

At the hearing held on January 31, 2023, the court ruled that the return of the letters rogatory about Ahmet Sever, who lives abroad, should be awaited and adjourned the hearings until May and June 2023 (January 31).

At the hearing held on January 2, it was decided to wait for Sever to return the request for a letter of request. The hearing was adjourned until April 18 (January 2).

The hearing of the three separate cases in which Sever is being tried on charges of “insulting the president” and “insulting a public official” were held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 13 September 2024. The court ruled to ask the outcome of the rogatory letters. The trials were adjourned until 14 January 2025 (September 13th).