Defendants: Adnan Bilen

Media Outlet and Position: Journalist

Accusations: Insulting the president

Possible sentence: –

Court: Van 4. Criminal Court

Case Background: 

Journalist Adnan Bilen is facing charges of “insulting the president” over his social media post sharing an article which criticized Erdoğan over several public issues. The prosecutor requested Bilen to be sentenced on the same charges twice. Bilen’s lawyers requested his full acquittal, stating that his social media content is not an insult but pure critique.

Bilen earlier faced similar problems for his journalistic work. He was sentenced to one year ten months earlier in December 2018, on charges of “spreading terrorist propaganda”. The sentence was suspended.

The next hearing in this case will take place on November 8, 2019.