Investigative journalist Pehlivan released as charges dropped

ISTANBUL

Investigative journalist Barış Pehlivan has been released as the case against him for insulting a public official was dropped.

The decision was reached after the complainant, Supreme Court member Ömer Faruk Aydıner, withdrew his complaint.

During the recent hearing attended by Pehlivan and many journalists, the prosecutor requested the dismissal of the case based on the complainant's withdrawal. The court ultimately decided to drop the charges, paving the way for Pehlivan's release.

Pehlivan, a columnist for the daily Cumhuriyet, had been at the center of a legal battle, initially facing a sentence of three years and nine months in prison. The charges were related to an article in which he exposed the identity of a deceased member of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) involved in operations in Libya.

After spending six months in prison, Pehlivan was released on probation on Sept. 9, 2020, with the condition that he would not be subject to another court case.

However, a fresh legal challenge emerged on March 30 when new charges were levied against him concerning another article, this time regarding the Supreme Court member.

Pehlivan was summoned to prison on May 17, but he was released once again due to COVID-related leave policies after a brief period in an open prison.

Despite his application for probation going unanswered and regulations barring convicts on COVID leave from reentry to prison not being applied to him, Pehlivan returned to Marmara prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence.