Turkiye: Nimet Ölmez Acquitted of “Insult” Charge
Women Press Freedom welcomes court decision, urges end to bogus charges targeting journalists
Location: Turkiye, HakkariDate: December 25, 2023Update: April 24, 2024
An “insult” charge filed against freelance journalist Nimet Ölmez has been dismissed by the court. She faced trial for supposedly insulting Zeydin Kaya, the Justice and Development Party’s Hakkari Provincial Chairman. Ölmez's social media posts, commenting on Kaya's involvement as a lawyer in a controversial case, were used to prosecute the journalist. Women Press Freedom welcomes her acquittal, the accusations leveled against her were baseless. Journalists should be free to express their opinions on social media without fearing legal harassment. While celebrating this verdict, we recognize that numerous Turkish journalists are facing similar charges of “insult” for their work. We urge the Turkish judiciary to take note of this ruling and acquit all journalists unjustly facing trial for their reporting.
On April 24, 2024, at the Hakkari 1st Criminal Court of First Instance journalist Nimet Ölmez was cleared of an “insult” charge brought by the local chairman for the ruling Justice and Development Party.
Ölmez was on trial for a social media post she made concerning the case of the rape of an 11-year-old girl in Hakkari.
Her critique of the Justice and Development Party’s provincial chairman Zeydin Kaya, who served as a lawyer in the case, resulted in her facing charges for “insulting a public official.”
In September 2023, Ölmez commented on a Halk TV television program where it was revealed that Kaya was a lawyer for defendants involved in the high-profile sexual assault case.
Three defendants in the rape case were initially sentenced to 42 years in prison in 2016 for kidnapping and assaulting a minor but were released on appeal. Days after their release, in February 2017, the victim of the assault Esra Yücel committed suicide. The case sparked public outrage at the court’s decision to release the men involved.
Ölmez's social media post, made in response to Halk TV’s revelations, expressed shock and condemnation at Kaya's involvement with the defendants in the assault case.
Following her post, Ölmez was summoned by the Hakkari Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of “insulting a public official.”
Ölmez asserted that her post was justified within the context of the controversial story and was within the scope of freedom of expression and the press.
Women Press Freedom welcomes the court's decision to acquit journalist Nimet Ölmez. She is just one of numerous journalists in Turkiye to face a nuisance “insult” lawsuit for reporting or commenting on news involving public figures. The intention is to silence and deter the press from criticizing or commenting on issues critical of the state, its institutions, or public officials. We commend the Hakkari court for dropping this bogus charge against Ölmez and hope this encourages acquittals in similar unjust cases targeting journalists. Both citizens and journalists must have the freedom to express themselves without the threat of legal intimidation.
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