Journalist Hazal Ocak acquitted of ‘Son-in-law knows what to do’ news

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Charged with "insulting a public official" over a news report entitled "Son-in-law knows what to do", journalist Hazal Ocak has been acquitted.

The report was about the land allegedly purchased by Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak near the planned route of Canal İstanbul.

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At her final hearing at the İstanbul 2nd Penal Court of First Instance today (October 27), journalist Hazal Ocak made her last defense and reiterated that the news was not intended as an insult, but aimed to inform the public. Indicating that her news fell within the scope of journalistic activities, Ocak noted that the news story was within the boundaries of criticism.

Announcing the opinion as to the accusations, the prosecutor of the hearing said, "As required by pluralistic democracy, individuals' free access to information is directly related to the freedom of expressing positive and negative opinions." The prosecutor demanded Ocak's acquittal.

Handing down its ruling, the court board has ruled that journalist Hazal Ocak shall be acquitted of the offense charged.

Önderoğlu: We welcome this bold ruling

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Representative to Turkey and bianet media freedom rapporteur Erol Önderoğlu has spoken to bianet about the acquittal of the journalist. Önderoğlu has stressed the importance of the opinion as to the accusations announced by the prosecutor:

After a long time, we have witnessed that a court, in line with a prosecutor's opinion as to the accusations putting a clear emphasis on the importance of press freedom, has ruled that a journalist shall be acquitted. In the past, we saw how problematic the law on 'insulting a public official' was implemented, especially when the complaints came from high government officials. We find it particularly important that a journalist has been acquitted in a case where Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak is the plaintiff and, to top it all, it was over such a current issue as Canal İstanbul. We hope that this ruling, which makes a clear reference to the right to give news and to the importance of being informed to form public opinion, will be contagious. Because, journalists, tired of being criminalized, need their rights to be recognized especially by the judiciary and they need the mission that they pursue in the name of society to resonate well. We welcome this ruling, which can be considered a bold one in the current conditions.

(HA/SD)