Verdict reached for journalist Zafer Arapkirli in 'insulting the President' trial

The final hearing of the trial in which journalist Zafer Arapkirli was accused of "insulting the President" was held at 11:00 a.m. at the Istanbul 60th Criminal Court of First Instance in Çağlayan.

The court issued an acquittal for Arapkirli.

Arapkirli was on trial for a post he made on the social media platform X on October 23, 2024, which read, "You are a very bad screenwriter, you were always like that anyway." Following the post in question, an investigation was launched and a lawsuit was filed against him.

After the post, Cem Küçük, a columnist for the newspaper Türkiye and a commentator for TGRT, published a message targeting Arapkirli.

"THE POLICE AND PROSECUTORS MUST DO WHAT IS NECESSARY"

In his post, Küçük had stated, "This man is writing these words with the President in mind... The police and prosecutors must do what is necessary." Following this statement, a lawsuit was filed against Arapkirli on charges of "insulting the President."

DEFENSE: "THIS IS NOT A TRIAL, IT IS AN ATTEMPT AT INTIMIDATION"

In his defense at the first hearing, Arapkirli had said, "This is not a trial, it is an attempt at intimidation." His lawyers presented to the court a note allegedly found in the case file that read, "How should we do it, I wonder? The crime is very forced," and requested an acquittal.

Concluding the trial, the court ruled to acquit journalist Zafer Arapkirli, who was being tried on charges of "insulting the President" due to his social media post.

News Source: 12punto