The new Turkey
Necdet Önemli
Sözcü newspaper responsible managing editor

23-Feb-2020

9 January 2020:

Seyhan Avşar and Necdet Önemli’s trial over news report about public prosecutor begins

The trial of Cumhuriyet reporter Seyhan Avşar and Sözcü newspaper’s Responsible Managing Editor Necdet Önemli on the charge of “making those involved in the fight against terrorism a target” got under way on 9 January 2020 at the 29th High Criminal Court of Istanbul.

The journalists are accused because of a news report titled “Sözcü savcısı sabıkalı çıktı” (Prosecutor in Sözcü trial has criminal record), published in Cumhuriyet’s 6 March 2019 edition.

P24 monitored the hearing, where Avşar presented her defense statement and rejected the accusation. The court ruled to hear Önemli’s defense statement at the next hearing; inquire of the Osmaniye 1st High Criminal Court about the case against the public prosecutor Asım Ekren; and adjourned the trial until 21 May 2020.