Turkish Court Finalizes Acquittal of Lawyer in 'Targeting' Case

A Turkish court has finalized the acquittal of lawyer Burak Saldıroğlu, who faced charges for allegedly "targeting individuals who took part in the fight against terrorism" via a social media post. The Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court initially ruled that Saldıroğlu's post did not meet the criteria for the crime of "targeting."

Despite the acquittal, the prosecutor and a lawyer representing Akın Gürlek, who was the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor at the time of the post and is now the Minister of Justice, appealed the decision. However, the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice's 3rd Criminal Chamber rejected these appeals, upholding the lower court's ruling.

The court found no procedural or substantive legal flaws in the original decision and confirmed that there were no deficiencies in the evidence or proceedings. Consequently, Saldıroğlu's acquittal has become definitive.

The case originated from an indictment issued by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in May 2025. The prosecution alleged that Saldıroğlu's post targeted Gürlek and Istanbul 8th Criminal Judge Yasin Karaca. The post in question, shared on social media, included phrases like "A ghost wanders in Çağlayan. The Istanbul 8th Criminal Judge, Akın Gürlek, will see Ekrem İmamoğlu in the elevator he uses at the courthouse... He will see Ekrem İmamoğlu on the sidewalks he has to walk with his head down... He will see Ekrem İmamoğlu on every wall, every street, every person he looks at. Because #imamogluis everywhere."

Saldıroğlu maintained his innocence, arguing that his post was intended as criticism and not to target anyone. His defense team contended that the post fell within the boundaries of political and legal commentary and did not constitute a crime. The court's decision emphasized freedom of expression, referencing Article 26 of the Turkish Constitution and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, concluding that the post remained within the limits of free speech.

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I did not post a tweet with the intention of targeting anyone. My post was intended as criticism. No crime has been committed. I request my acquittal.