Local journalist gets prison sentence for ‘insulting’ his attacker

A local journalist in eastern Turkey who was attacked by two people connected to the mayor of a Justice and Development Party (AKP)-run municipality last year has been handed down a prison sentence for insulting one of the attackers, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) reported.

Sinan Aygül, editor-in-chief of Bitlis News and head of the Bitlis Journalists Association, was attacked by police officer Engin Kaplan and municipal employee Yücel Baysalı, two members of the security detail for Mehmet Emin Geylani, mayor of the Tatvan Municipality in Bitlis, on June 17.

Aygül was charged with insulting Baysalı in a statement he made after his release from the hospital where he was treated following the attack, according to an indictment drafted by the Tatvan Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

In his statement, Aygül called the attackers “two street dogs” and said “May God damn them.”

The court on Wednesday sentenced Aygül to two months, five days in prison for insulting Baysalı.

According to the MLSA, Aygül will serve the sentence if it is upheld by an appeals court.

“The attackers are free. Maybe they will receive minimal sentences and be reinstated to their jobs to unleash terror once again. … Meanwhile, I, who was attacked for defending the interests of the public, face the prospect of going to prison for surviving the attempt on my life,” the journalist said in a video on X.

Aygül expressed concern that despite the existence of footage and confessions, the perpetrators would likely escape significant consequences.

Aygül further said a report from the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) stated that the attack left “no permanent scars” on his face.

The second hearing of the trial of the attackers, who are being prosecuted without detention on assault charges, will take place on January 25.

Aygül has been constantly targeted due to his coverage of corruption allegations involving members of the AKP government. He was previously arrested following a complaint by Vahit Kiler, a former AKP lawmaker from Bitlis, but was later released. The journalist had also reported on allegations of nepotism in Tatvan.

Turkey, which is among the top jailers of journalists in the world, was ranked 165th in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2023 World Press Freedom Index, among 180 countries, not far from North Korea, which occupies the bottom of the list.

Rights groups routinely accuse the Turkish government of trying to keep the press under control by imprisoning journalists, closing down media outlets, overseeing the purchase of media brands by pro-government conglomerates and using regulatory authorities to exert financial pressure, especially after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan survived a coup attempt in July 2016.