Today in Insulting Erdoğan: First Prison Sentence, Then Judicial Fine for Ahmet Altan

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Jailed journalist and writer Ahmet Altan has been sentenced to pay a judicial fine of 7 thousand Turkish Lira (approx. 1,125 Euro) on charge of "insulting the President" on the ground that he insulted President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the article "New Ergenekon" that he penned for P24 website in 2016.

The final hearing of Altan was held at the İstanbul 30th Penal Court of First Instance yesterday (March 19). Being arrested in Silivri Prison as part of the July 15 Coup Attempt Media Case, Altan attended the hearing via Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). His attorney Figen Çalıkuşu and Erdoğan's attorney Ela Ezgi Yelmen appeared in court.

Yelmen, the attorney of Erdoğan, stated that Ahmet Altan called her client "a thief" and such remarks cannot be considered criticism.

'Such lawsuits are filed to prevent political criticism'

Presenting his defense as to the accusations, Altan reminded that another verdict previously given for him on the same charge was reversed by the 18th Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals. He said:

"I have no personal relationship with the President. I do not have a reason to insult him, either. He is a political figure. What I did was to criticize the politics that he did. It is my constitutional right. Such lawsuits are filed to prevent political criticism. I do not accept the accusations.

"If the complainant was not the President or another political figure, would I write anything about him or her? No. This article was written about his political act. When we consider the criteria of the Supreme Court of Appeals, it is an article written about the act of the plaintiff, not about his personality. And that cannot be insult, but criticism.

"Targeting the honor and dignity of a political figure should be deemed as the limit to regard the statements about him or her as insult."

Altan's attorney Figen Çalıkuşu also criticized the prosecutor who issued the indictment for adding an opinion not related with the article to the indictment. She requested that the court board implement the legal precedents in favor of freedom of expression and give a verdict of acquittal for Altan.

Prison sentence changed into judicial fine

Announcing its verdict, the court board ruled that Ahmet Altan shall be sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison on the offence charged.

Considering his personality and social and economic standing, the court board has changed the prison sentence into a judicial fine of 7,000 TRY. (HA/SD)