Paradise Papers Case Against Journalist Ünker Dismissed Due to Statute of Limitations

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The final hearing of former reporter of Cumhuriyet newspaper Pelin Ünker, against whom a lawsuit was filed upon the criminal complaint of the then Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak and his brother Serhat Albayrak for having reported on Paradise Papers, was held at the İstanbul 2nd Penal Court of First Instance today (March 28).

After the news articles "Offshore Brothers" and "Energy Minister Albayrak and His Brother Also Preferred Malta for Some Time" were published on Cumhuriyet, Berat Albayrak and his brother Serhat Albayrak filed a criminal complaint against Ünker for "defamation through media."

The fourth hearing of the case held today was attended by Seçil Özalp, the attorney of Ahmet Çalık who intervened in the case in previous hearings, Ela Ezgi Yelmen, the attorney of Albayrak brothers, as well as Abbas Yalçın and Halil Kocabaş, the attorneys of Pelin Ünker.

The hearing was also followed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Representative to Turkey Erol Önderoğlu and several other journalists.

Attorneys referred to the case of Çağrı Sarı

After the court board asked them their last words, Ünker's attorney Abbas Yalçın emphasized that the complaint in question was not submitted in the four-month period stipulated by the law and requested that the case be dismissed due to violation of statute of limitations.

Moreover, Yalçın also referred to the lawsuit filed against former Managing Editor of Evrensel Newspaper Çağrı Sarı on charge of "insult and libel" for having reported on Paradise Papers. In this lawsuit, which was also filed upon the complaint of Albayrak brothers, Sarı was acquitted at her final hearing held at the Bakırköy 2nd Penal Court of First Instance on March 19.

CLICK - Journalist Çağrı Sarı Acquitted in Paradise Papers Case

Yalçın said, "If a court gives a verdict of conviction while another one rules for acquittal, it will not conform to the legal principles."

Case dismissed due to statute of limitations

Announcing its verdict after the break, the court board took the four-month statute of limitations specified in the Article 26/2 of the Press Law into consideration and ruled that the criminal case filed against Ünker shall be dismissed on the ground that it was not filed within the stipulated period.

Announcing the verdict, Presiding Judge was heard to say, "Unfortunately, I have detected that statute of limitations has been violated." (HA/SD)