Journalist Emre Yağan handed prison sentence for 'insulting the president'

Photo: MLSA

Click to read the article in Turkish

The former editor-in-chief of İleri Haber news site, Onur Emre Yağan, has been given a deferred prison sentence for "insulting the president" over four Twitter posts from the website's account in 2014 and 2015.

The final hearing of the case was held today (November 5) at İstanbul Anadolu 53rd Penal Court of First Instance.

Presenting his defense statement, Yağan said he started working for İleri Haber in 2017 as the "responsible manager" and then appointed as the editor-in-chief, before leaving his job in 2018.

He was not working for the website when the tweets in question were published, he noted, requesting his acquittal.

Speaking after Yağan, his attorney Özgür Urfa also said that the date the journalist's registration as the responsible managing editor in the registry gazette was after the date of the crime and requested his acquittal.

Despite that, the court sentenced Yağan to 1 year, 2 months and 17 days in prison and deferred the announcement of the verdict.

Tunceli Mazgirt Chief Public Prosecutor's Office first opened an investigation against Yağan in 2018 when he was the editor-in-chief of İleri Haber. The file was later sent to the İstanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the Press Crimes Investigation Bureau opened an investigation.

The four tweets subject to the investigation were titles of news reports:

"Cemil Bayık [one of the leaders of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)]: Erdoğan is the caliph of ISIS."

"Cemil Bayık spoke to Cumhuriyet [newspaper]: Erdoğan is a dictator, Fidan [the National Intelligence Organization chair] made contributions"

"Cem Soyer wrote: Compulsorily dictator."

"'Thief' and 'murderer' vigilance at universities: As soon as they hear these words, they understand that it's [President] Erdoğan." (HA/VK)