12-year prison sentence sought for Istanbul Bar Association President Kaboğlu
Following a social media post by the Istanbul Bar Association, an indictment has been prepared against Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and 10 board members, seeking up to 12 years in prison and a political ban for each on charges of "propagating for a terrorist organization via the press" and "publicly disseminating misleading information to the public." The file has been sent to the high criminal court for authorization to proceed with the trial.
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An indictment has been prepared against Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and 10 board members, seeking up to 12 years in prison and a political ban for each on charges of "propagating for a terrorist organization via the press" and "publicly disseminating misleading information to the public via the press."
The process began following a post made on the official X (Twitter) account of the Istanbul Bar Association on December 21, 2024. The post included statements regarding the killing of Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who were alleged to be members of the PKK terrorist organization and had active arrest warrants against them for membership in an armed organization.
Following this post, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the Bar Association President and board members on charges of "propagating for a terrorist organization."
LAWSUIT FILED FOR THEIR REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
During the investigation process, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also took action to have Bar Association President Kaboğlu and the board of directors removed from office. A lawsuit was filed in the civil court of first instance, requesting the removal of the current administration and the election of a new bar association management.
Following the investigation permit received from the Ministry of Justice, the members of the bar association's board of directors were summoned to testify as suspects.
CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE PREPARED THE INDICTMENT
Having completed the investigation, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent the summary of proceedings to the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. After reviewing the summary, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against Kaboğlu and 10 bar association executives.
The indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in terrorist propaganda via the press and disseminated misleading information to the public.
The prosecution has requested that the defendants be sentenced to between 3 and 12 years in prison and be subjected to a political ban.
HIGH CRIMINAL COURT TO GRANT TRIAL AUTHORIZATION
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent the file to the Bakırköy 13th High Criminal Court for authorization to proceed with the trial. The court has served the indictment to Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu and the 10 board members.
The defendants have been granted time to prepare their defense and submit any evidence they may have. The court also stated that the investigation could be deepened if deemed necessary.
IF THE COURT GRANTS APPROVAL, A 'TERROR' CASE WILL BE OPENED
If the Bakırköy 13th High Criminal Court grants authorization for the trial, the file will be sent back to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office will then refer the file to the relevant high criminal court to initiate a "terror" case against the Istanbul Bar Association.