16.09.2025 15:12
In a street interview, Dilruba Kayserilioğlu, who was prosecuted for "insulting the President" due to her statements regarding the access ban to Instagram, has been acquitted.
On August 12, 2024, a decision was made regarding Dilruba Kayserilioğlu, who was arrested and released 17 days later, based on statements she made in a street interview about the access ban to Instagram.
KAYSERILIOĞLU ACQUITTED
The Court of Appeals overturned the 11 months and 20 days prison sentence given by the İzmir 62nd Criminal Court for the crime of "insulting the President" and ruled for Kayserilioğlu's acquittal.
Kayserilioğlu was previously prosecuted for "inciting hatred and hostility among the public and publicly humiliating a segment of the population" due to her statements in a street interview last year. Subsequently, a new indictment was prepared against her for "insulting the President," seeking a prison sentence ranging from 1 year and 2 months to 4 years and 8 months. In the case heard at the İzmir 62nd Criminal Court, Dilruba Kayserilioğlu was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days, and the announcement of the verdict was postponed.
HER LAWYER ANNOUNCED ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Kayserilioğlu and her lawyer Hüseyin Yıldız took the local court's decision to the Court of Appeals. In the hearing at the Court of Appeals, a verdict of acquittal was given for Dilruba Kayserilioğlu. Lawyer Hüseyin Yıldız announced the decision on his social media account, stating: "My client has been acquitted as the conviction for 'Insulting the President' has been overturned. I hope all injustices come to an end."
WHAT HAPPENED?
Dilruba Kayserilioğlu was arrested on August 12, 2024, due to her words in a street interview and was released 17 days later. She was first prosecuted for "inciting hatred and hostility among the public and publicly humiliating a segment of the population," and later a new indictment was prepared against her for "insulting the President" based on the same statements. Kayserilioğlu was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days, and the announcement of the verdict was postponed.
Kayserilioğlu, who attended the opening of the İzmir International Fair as a guest of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, claimed that she was released from prison around 22:00 but that "her family and lawyer were not informed."
The Kayserilioğlu family announced that they would file a complaint regarding the manner of her release, and mother Aysel Kayserilioğlu stated: "They released her suddenly with a black bag in her hand. At that hour, a young person is being released without informing her mother or lawyer. My daughter had nothing in her hands. She found a phone and called me that way, saying, 'Mom, please don't cry. They released me.'" The General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses denied Aysel Kayserilioğlu's claims.
In the interview, Kayserilioğlu expressed her reaction to the access ban on Instagram, stating, "You can't just say 'I closed it, that's it' without providing any justification." She also mentioned that there are influencers who make a living using social media and noted, "90% of Turkey, even the world, now earns their living through Instagram." Additionally, she expressed her discomfort regarding the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention and issues related to animal rights.