Lawyer on Trial for Insulting Kerincsiz

Yücel Sayman, the former president of the Istanbul Bar Association, is being tried for insulting nationalist lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz's lawyers.
The insult is alleged to have taken place at a trial against journalists of the "Agos" newspaper for influencing the judiciary.

Trial in February 2008 

Sayman is to be tried in February 2008 for words he allegedly used at a court hearing on 16 May 2006, when "Agos" editor-in-chief Hrant Dink, his son and editor Arat Dink and the newspaper licence holder Serkis Seropyan were on trial.

Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code is being applied in Sayman's case and a sentence of up to two years imprisonment will be demanded.

Alleged insults in 2006 

The trial in 2006 had been turbulent; when the defendants had appeared in court the first time, their lawyers had had coins and pens thrown at them and had been threatened and insulted when leaving the hearing.

During the hearing, Kerincsiz, the representative of the Great Lawyers' Union, and other plaintiffs tried to limit defendant Hrant Dink's time to speak, arguing that he had talked too much. When defense lawyers said that there was pressure on the defendants and their lawyers, they had been threatened.

During the argument, Kerincsiz had called towards the journalists' defense lawyers, "We are watching you too!" Sayman is now on trial for what he said on that occasion.

Not the first complaint 

Kerincsiz and his Lawyers' Union are well-known in Turkey, and by now internationally, for the trials they have instigated.

The last was against journalist Ayse Önal of the "Star" newpaper, who was sentenced to paying compensation and a prison sentence converted to a fine for allegedly insulting Kerincsiz.

In an article on 30 December 2005, the journalist had criticised Kerincsiz for filing a suit against Joost Lagendijk, the chair of the EU Joint Parliamentary Committee with Turkey.

Kerincsiz has also filed suits against writers such as Orhan Pamuk and Elif Safak.

Eight months after the "Agos" trial, editor-in-chief Hrant Dink was murdered. (EÖ/AG)