The new Turkey
İsmail Cem Şimşek.
Former responsible managing editor for Evrensel.

09-Oct-2019

20 September 2019:

Journalist Cem Şimşek acquitted of “defying access ban”
On 20 September 2019, Evrensel daily’s former responsible managing editor Cem Şimşek appeared before an Istanbul court for the third hearing of his trial on the charge of “defying an access ban ordered by a court.”

Istanbul’s 16th Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted Şimşek on the grounds that the elements of the offense were not present.

12 September 2019:

Journalist Cem Şimşek fined for 2018 news story
Cem Şimşek, the former responsible managing editor of Evrensel daily, appeared before the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 12 September 2019 for the fourth hearing of his trial on charges of “insulting a public official” and “failure to publish a correction” over a news story published in Evrensel in July 2018.

Issuing its verdict at the end of the hearing, the court acquitted Şimşek of the “insult” charge but fined both Şimşek and the newspaper’s owner, Cemal Dursun, TL 41,666 for “failure to properly publish a correction.”

5 March 2019:

“Insult” case against Cem Şimşek adjourned

The second hearing of a case where Evrensel daily’s former responsible managing editor Cem Şimşek stands accused of “insulting” the Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak that was scheduled for 5 March was postponed to a later date because the judge was on leave.

The case, overseen by the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Bakırköy, was filed in relation with a news story published in Evrensel on 13 July 2018. Şimşek is accused of insult and slander.

19 February 2019.

Evrensel’s former managing editor acquitted in first hearing

Also on 19 February, another former responsible managing editor for Evrensel, İsmail Cem Şimşek, appeared in the same court for the first hearing of his trial on the charge of “libel” for two news stories and one opinion piece published in August 2018 in the newspaper in relation with rights violations in the Tarsus Prison.

Issuing its verdict following Şimşek and his lawyer’s defense statements, the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance ruled for Şimşek’s acquittal.