Turkiye: Çiğdem Akbayrak Faces Renewed Legal Harassment for 2018 Tweet
December 18, 2024 - Turkiye, Istanbul
Journalist Çiğdem Akbayrak faces trial for "insulting the president" over a 2018 tweet criticizing Turkey's Afrin military operation. Despite the Constitutional Court ruling that the initial decision violated her rights, the case has been reopened.
Constitutional Court previously found that delaying Akbayrak's verdict infringed on her freedom of expression. It also recognized the charge of "insulting the president" as a misuse of the legal system to suppress free speech and criticize government actions. Nevertheless, prosecutors have revived the case, and are again demanding punishment.
Akbayrak’s case is a clear example of the ongoing legal and judicial harassment faced by journalists in Turkiye, many of whom endure prolonged trials and retrials.
Women Press Freedom denounces the reopening of this case, which exemplifies judicial overreach and the Turkish state's continued abuse of the legal system to stymie and intimidate critical journalists. We call for the immediate dropping of all charges against Akbayrak.
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