Sinan Aygül, the president of the Bitlis Journalists Association, was acquitted of charges alleging that he threatened the bodyguards of Tatvan Mayor Mehmet Emin Geylani following a widely publicized assault against him in 2023.
Aygül and his brother, Ahmet Aygül, had been accused of threatening and insulting two security guards—one of them a police officer—employed by the Tatvan Municipality, both through social media and in person. The case emerged after Sinan Aygül was beaten in public in June 2023 by the mayor’s bodyguards, an incident that drew national and international condemnation and sparked concerns over press freedom in Turkey.
At the final hearing on April 17, 2025, held at the 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance in Tatvan, the prosecutor had demanded that Sinan Aygül be convicted of making threats. However, the court ruled that there was no “definitive, convincing and doubt-free” evidence proving that Aygül had committed the offense of "threatening with multiple persons." As a result, he was acquitted.
The court pointed to inconsistencies and lack of credibility in the witness testimonies. One witness, Şerafettin Üzen, initially claimed that Aygül had said, "I will kill the bodyguards who beat me," but retracted this statement during the hearing. Other witnesses also failed to provide testimony supporting the prosecution’s claims.
Meanwhile, Sinan Aygül’s brother, Ahmet Aygül, was found guilty of making threats and insults. He had allegedly told a security guard, “Call me when the police and bodyguards arrive, I’ll shoot them in the head,” and sent insulting messages to municipal staffer Yücel Baysalı via social media. The court sentenced him to six months and seven days in prison and imposed a judicial fine of 1,500 Turkish lira. However, taking into account his clean record and personal circumstances, the court suspended the announcement of the verdict, placing him under a five-year probation period instead.
The case stemmed from Sinan Aygül’s attempt to access surveillance footage from the Tatvan Municipality’s annex building following the 2023 assault. Aygül had gone to the building to collect evidence supporting his criminal complaint. He maintained that he did not threaten anyone and was merely seeking justice. His brother also denied authoring the alleged social media messages.
In its reasoned decision, the court emphasized the principle of "benefit of the doubt" in acquitting Sinan Aygül, citing insufficient evidence. Aygül’s lawyer, Berrin Eker, welcomed the ruling, stating, “My client’s sole aim was to obtain evidence to reveal the truth in the assault case. Today’s decision serves as a reminder that journalistic activities must not be criminalized.”
The decision can be appealed, and the verdict will be formally communicated to all parties involved.
(BA)
