Defendants: Uğur Koç, İbrahim Aydın, Mustafa Kömüş

Media Outlet and Position: BirGün – Editors, Executives

Accusations: Insulting a state official

Possible sentences: –

Court: İstanbul 2. Criminal Court

Case background:

Three editors and executives of independent BirGün newspaper – then-managing editor of BirGün Uğur Koç, online news editor Mustafa Kömüş and publisher İbrahim Aydın – are being charged with “insulting a state official” over the daily’s reporting of the Finance Minister and President Erdoğan’s son-in-law, Berat Albayrak.

BirGün reported in June 2019 about the removal of an entry page to a discussion forum where users had discussed an alleged affair of Berat Albayrak. A case was opened against the journalists following Albayrak’s complaint about reporting on the removal of the webpage.

During the first hearing on December 5, 2019, journalists rejected all charges and requested their acquittal. The court adjourned the trial until February 27, 2020, in order for the written statements to be submitted.

During the February 27 hearing, the defense lawyers underlined the fact that access to the news story has been blocked therefore preventing them from presenting it even in the court. The court decided to request information about the appeal against the access block pending at the Constitutional Court. The next hearing will be held on May 7.

Due to suspension of all judicial proceedings from late March until June 15 because of COVID-19 pandemic, the May 7 hearing was postponed to September 8.

During the September 8 hearing, the court rejected the defense request to wait for the outcome of the application submitted to the Constitutional Court, stating that it would not change the nature of the crime.

The next hearing was postponed to November 19, 2020 due to the prosecutor’s request for additional time to prepare the final opinion.

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