Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reporter Murat Çiftçi was arrested for allegedly “aiding an illegal organization” after he interviewed Gülistan Encü who played a key role in "KCK Urfa" case and led to the arrest of nine people including BDP Urfa MP Ýbrahim Ayhan on 5 January 2010. Çiftçi’s lawyer Serdar Çelebi pointed out to the unclarity of the accusation against Çiftçi and said that; “We didn’t get a concrete answer to our question about how an interview could be charged with aiding and abetting an unstated illegal organization.”

On the grounds of interviewing Gülistan Encü, DIHA reporter Murat Çiftçi was on 24 January arrested at the Prosecution Office of Urfa within the scope of an investigation opened against him in connection with the interview which led to his being accused of “affecting a fair trial” and “membership to an illegal organization”.

While Çiftçi was on 24 January sent to Urfa E-Type Prison, he was on 30 January brought to Diyarbakýr Special Authorized Public Prosecution Office which referred him to Diyarbakýr Court with a warrant of arrest. After giving a statement here, Çiftçi was arrested and sent to Diyarbakýr D-Type Prison for allegedly “aiding an illegal organization”.

Remarking that the arrest was executed on the basis of “strong criminal suspect”, lawyer Serdar Çelebi pointed out that they hadn’t been allowed to discuss the prosecutor’s accusation against Çiftçi. Lawyer Çelebi said the followings; “We asked the prosecutor how a reporter could be accused of aiding an illegal organization and which organization he aided in connection with a news he had reported. The arrest actually astonished us as well.”