Judge recuses himself from trial of Deniz Yücel's lawyer in Turkey

ISTANBUL - The Associated Press

A judge has recused himself from the case against a prominent Turkish press freedoms lawyer on trial for criticizing the Turkish justice system on the day a verdict was due.

Veysel Ok said the judge, who has already presided over several hearings in the case, withdrew on July 17 on the grounds that he could not be impartial because he had once filed a complaint against one of Ok’s clients.

Ok has been charged with insulting a state institution in a 2015 interview in which he accused the judiciary of speaking “with one voice.”

He faces up to two years in prison. No new hearing date was set.

Ok defended German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel, who was arrested last year on terrorism and propaganda charges.

Yücel, who writes for Die Welt, was released earlier this year and returned to Germany.