Court has ruled that elements of the impugned crime did not form 

CANSU PİŞKİN, İSTANBUL

The fourth hearing in the retrial of Yeni Yaşam newspaper Managing Editor Osman Akın on the charge of “publicly denigrating the state of the Republic of Turkey and the military and security organization of the state” over his article titled “Afrinli Tutuklulara Zulüm” (Detainees in Afrin Maltreated) was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 22 November 2024. 

Akın’s lawyer Özcan Kılıç was present at the hearing, which P24 monitored.

The prosecutor repeated their final opinion on the case and requested sentencing for Akın.

Akın’s lawyer Özcan Kılıç said they did not agree with the opinion and requested the acquittal of his client in line with the Constitutional Court judgment that found a violation in the application of the deferment of the sentence practice.

The court ruled to rescind the previous verdict and abolish all its consequences as per the Constitutional Court violation ruling of 29 March 2023 and acquitted Akın on the grounds that elements of the impugned crime did not form.