The court has decided to dismiss the case against journalist Canan Coşkun, who was being retried on charges of "targeting individuals who have served in counter-terrorism." This decision was reached during the second hearing of the retrial at the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.
Observers from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative and journalist Erol Önderoğlu, the attorney of the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) Ülkü Şahin, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), and P24 attended the hearing held today (February 22, 2024).
In the hearing, the prosecutor presented their opinion, stating that the case should be dismissed due to the expiration of the five-year probation period set for Coşkun.
The court ruled to dismiss the case, noting that the five-year probation period related to the deferred announcement of the previous judgment, which had been finalized in 2018, had expired.
Background:
The case against journalist Canan Coşkun originated in 2016, following her article titled "They Sang Songs, Got Arrested" in Cumhuriyet newspaper. She was accused of "disclosing the identities of individuals who had served in counter-terrorism." On May 2, 2017, the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court sentenced Coşkun to 10 months in prison but deferred the announcement of the verdict.
Coşkun's lawyers appealed the decision, and the Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court accepted the appeal, revoking the deferral. However, the 14th High Criminal Court did not implement this decision, stating that the higher court had entered into the merits of the case. The verdict against Coşkun became final on March 21, 2018.
Coşkun's lawyers then took the case to the Constitutional Court, which found a violation of freedom of expression and ordered a retrial. The retrial for Coşkun commenced on November 23, 2023.
