Life sentence has been asked for DIHA reporter Şermin Soydan who was arrested due to her report titled “Details of the 'secret' operation on Gever”. The first hearing of Soydan will be held on August 10.
Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reporter Şermin Soydan was arrested in Van on May 14 after she prepared a report titled “Details of the 'secret' operation on Gever” which revealed the background of the onslaught of state forces on Hakkari's Gever (Yüksekova) district.
Hakkari Public Prosecutor's Office has prepared the indictment against Soydan who will be standing trial at Hakkari 2nd High Criminal Court on August 10. The indictment asks life sentence for Soydan on grounds of “providing confidential documents on the state's security” and “endangering the battle and opportunities of the state”; 3 to 8 years in prison for “membership to a terror organisation” and 5 to 10 years for “aiding and abetting a terror organisation”.
The indictment by Hakkari Public Prosecutor Murat Şahin grounds all the requested sentence on the phone conversations Soydan held with DIHA Van Regional Office and News Desk during the process of “curfew” imposed on Gever. Some report proposals conveyed to her side were also illegalised and defined as “crime”.
The indictment also includes Soydan's phone conversations with DIHA reporter and English service editor Nedim Türfent who is also jailed.
Regarding a public interview with victims of the Turkish forces' state of siege, the indictment said this report was far away from reality and aimed to defame the Turkish Republic in domestic and international arena.
