Merdan Yanardağ acquitted in trial over 'assassination of Kılıçdaroğlu' post

Tele1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ has been acquitted in the trial concerning his posts about an alleged assassination plot against former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The fifth hearing of the case, which was opened against Yanardağ on charges of "publicly disseminating misleading information" due to five social media posts in which he shared the claim in question, was held at the Istanbul 35th Criminal Court of First Instance. 

Yanardağ's lawyer was present at the hearing. The prosecutor reiterated the opinion on the merits they had presented at the hearing on December 10. In the opinion, it was requested that Yanardağ be punished for the charge of "publicly disseminating misleading information" on the grounds that "due to the defendant being a well-known journalist, his posts carry significance, and the possibility that the shared content could be misleading, and that this misleading nature, due to the importance of the shared news content, is capable of disrupting public peace and causing fear and panic among the public."

In his defense regarding the prosecutor's opinion, Yanardağ's lawyer stated, "The opinion is abstract and baseless. We request my client's acquittal." The court decided to acquit Merdan Yanardağ on the grounds that "there is no definitive and legal evidence beyond any doubt showing that the act was committed with criminal intent, and it has not been proven that the charged crime was committed by the defendant."