Lawsuit filed against Sedef Kabaş over CBRT post

A lawsuit has been filed against journalist Sedef Kabaş, seeking up to 3 years in prison on charges of "publicly disseminating misleading information" due to a post she made on her social media account regarding Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) Governor Fatih Karahan.

An indictment was prepared against Kabaş by the Press Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

The indictment states that in a social media post on February 8, 2024, Kabaş shared a statement attributed to Karahan regarding potential hikes in electricity and natural gas prices after the elections.

In her statement taken during the investigation phase, Kabaş said that she did not produce the post herself, but rather shared a sentence from Karahan regarding price hikes on her own page without any additions, within the scope of freedom of the press and expression.

The indictment notes that Kabaş rejected the accusations, stating that she had no intention of sharing false information, distorting facts, or misleading the public.

The indictment requests a prison sentence of 1 to 3 years for Kabaş for the crime of "publicly disseminating misleading information."

Following the acceptance of the indictment by the Anatolian Criminal Court of First Instance, Sedef Kabaş is expected to appear before a judge in the coming days.