Journalist Mustafa Sönmez acquitted of 'insulting the president'

Click to read the article in Turkish

Journalist and economist Mustafa Sönmez has been acquitted of insulting the president in the case concerning his Twitter posts from 2016.

The case was filed after tweets by Sönmez on the arrest of Reza Zarrab, a businessperson who has been found guilty of helping Iran evade US sanctions in a scheme involving Turkey's state-run Halkbank as well.

CLICK - Nearly 30,000 people investigated for insulting Erdoğan

The İstanbul Anadolu 26th Penal Court of First Instance ruled today (June 23) that the elements of the crime did not occur.

Previously, a verdict of nonsuit was given about Sönmez's posts but a criminal case was filed anyway.

"Mr. Reza won't stand trial alone. Those who provided him with these means, Halkbank, the Erdoğan government... All of them will be defendants. Reza will say 'I didn't do this alone," Sönmez wrote in the tweet in question. (HA/VK)