Turkish journalist acquitted in case into tweet critical of corruption prosecutor

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

An Istanbul High Criminal Court acquitted a journalist Oct. 6 in a case about a tweet that criticized a prosecutor involved in the country’s biggest corruption probe on Dec. 17, 2014.

Sedef Kabaş was acquitted of “menace” and “targeting public officials involved in counter-terrorism” charges at the first hearing.

“Do not forget the name of the prosecutor who decided not to continue proceedings in the Dec. 17 probe,” Kabaş had tweeted, referring to prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu, who dropped the corruption probe on Dec. 16, 2014.

An indictment was then prepared for Kabaş on charges of “targeting people involved in the fight against terrorism and making threats.” An Istanbul court sent the case to the High Criminal Court after deciding non-jurisdiction April 30 at the first hearing.

Kabaş was detained on Dec. 30, 2014, at her house and released after testifying before a prosecutor.

In May, an Istanbul court acquitted Kabaş of all charges on the grounds her attitude towards the police officers who searched her house did not constitute a crime, after an investigation was opened into her “defamation” and “resistance.”