New defamation lawsuit filed against İsmail Arı while in prison

Journalist İsmail Arı, who has been detained in Sincan Prison for approximately 39 days, has announced that another lawsuit has been filed against him while in custody. Arı is facing new charges due to a social media post from three years ago, in which he shared a news report about a former Deputy Chief of the Ankara Police Department without adding any commentary.

In his column, Arı stated, "Another lawsuit has been filed against me while I am in prison. My crime is sharing a tweet from a news site three years ago about a former Deputy Chief of the Ankara Police Department without any comment. They are seeking to punish me for this."

In the indictment prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Ankara Police Department is listed as the "complainant," while former Deputy Chief of the Ankara Police Department Mukadder Kardiyen is listed as the "victim." The prosecution is seeking to have Arı punished for "insulting a public official." The case will be heard on September 17, 2026, at the Ankara 47th Criminal Court of First Instance.

DETAINED FOR 39 DAYS

Journalist Arı, who was arrested and sent to prison at the end of March, is being tried on charges of "publicly disseminating misleading information." He was detained while visiting his family in Tokat as part of a separate investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. As the legal process for Arı, who was arrested on Sunday, March 22, continues in prison, the new lawsuit filed against him has brought debates on press freedom to the forefront.