İstanbul 36th Magistrates' Court acquitted journalist Ahmet Şık, a journalist alleged to have said to the police "fascist" while the police was on duty in a protest in Beyoğlu district of İstanbul on the evening of 11 September 2013.
Ahmet Şık, academician at İstanbul Bilgi University and Editor at habervesaire.com, website was accused of insulting the police while taking photographs of the protests for Ahmet Atakan (a young man killed by tear gas canister of the police during Gezi protests) on the evening of 11 September 2013.
UNESCO Guillermo Cano Prize to Şık
While Ahmet Şık has been granted UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, he was on trial for Odatv case and remarking bad words while leaving the jail. Furthermore, he was attacked by the police twice during the Gezi protests. Şık will receive the prize in a ceremony in Paris.
Ahmet Şık was charged with insulting by Silivri 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance while he was leaving Silivri jail on 12 March 2012. Şık also was on trial of insulting and threatening 39 prosecutors and judges.
Polis violence is unpunished
Journalist Şık was hit in the head by the police’s tear gas canister while he was watching Republican Peoples’ Party Committee’s entering Gezi Park on 31 May 2013. He was taken to Taksim Emergency Hospital and put eight stitches in his head.
On 12 June 2013, Ahmet Şık was again hit by a tear gas canister fired from a TOMA in Taksim Square on 12 June 2013. Şık saved his head by wearing helmet and was not heavily wounded. His helmet was dented. Journalists Onur Erdem and Ender Ergün filed a complaint against this attack. İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office nonsuited related to polis violence.
Şık has been on trial of Odatv case
Journalist Şık was imprisoned for more than a year for his draft of the book “The Imam’s Army”. He has been on trial of allegations for not being a member of terror organization but helping the organization. The trial’s date is uncertain.
The files of İstanbul 16th High Criminal Court, a former special court, were given to İstanbul 18th High Criminal Court. Journalists Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener, Soner Yalçın, Barış Pehlivan. Barış Terkoğlu, Yalçın Küçük, Sait Çakır, Doğan Yurdakul, Müyesser Yıldız, Coşkun Musluk, Mümtaz İdil, Ayfer İklim Kaleli and former police Hanefi Avcı have been released pending trial on Odatv case. (EÖ/BD/BM)
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