Journalists prosecuted for doing their job
Journalists prosecuted for doing their job
Erdoðan Altan, Batman Representative of the Dicle News Agency (DÝHA), Diyarbakýr Representative Kadri Kaya and Mehmet Karabaþ of the Batman Post newspaper are being prosecuted on the grounds of their news items that were broadcasted on the Kurdish television channel Roj TV and the Denge Mesopotamia Radio.
The indictment was prepared on 13 September. The first hearing of the case that involves a total of seven defendants including the three journalists was held before the Diyarbakýr 7th High Criminal Court on Wednesday (2 November).
Altan, Kaya and Karabaþ are charged with "assisting an illegal organization" according to Articles 220/7 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK) and 5/1 of the Anti-Terrorism Law (TMK) and "making propaganda for an illegal organization" as stipulated in Article 7/2 TMK.
Karabaþ could not be brought to court for the Wednesday hearing because of an arrest warrant. He was released pending trial on Thursday (3 November).
The request for a defence speech in Kurdish made by Altan and Kaya was rejected by court. When their lawyer Reyhan Yalçýndað gave his opinion on the indictment, he pointed out that the number of arrested journalists in Turkey exceeded the figures of Iran and China. Yalçýndað referred to the 2011 reports of the OSCE and the International Press Institute.
"They are being prosecuted because of their journalistic activities"
Journalists Altan and Kaya are facing imprisonment of between ten and fifteen years. The case was adjourned to 28 November.
On 17 April, Altan, Kaya and Karabaþ and another five people were taken into custody under allegations of propaganda and of having made exaggerated news about operations in Diyarbakýr. The news were broadcasted by Roj TV and the Denge Mesopotamia Radio.
Subsequent to the procedures of the prosecution, suspect Ýbrahim Kaya was released on 19 April. It was decided to try three people un-detained, among them Mehmet Karabaþ. Four people were arrested, including Erdoðan Altan and Kadri Kaya. Later on, an arrest warrant was issued about Karabaþ. He was caught in Istanbul on 22 May and taken to prison.
The indictment was prepared on 13 September. The first hearing of the case that involves a total of seven defendants including the three journalists was held before the Diyarbakýr 7th High Criminal Court on Wednesday (2 November).
Altan, Kaya and Karabaþ are charged with "assisting an illegal organization" according to Articles 220/7 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK) and 5/1 of the Anti-Terrorism Law (TMK) and "making propaganda for an illegal organization" as stipulated in Article 7/2 TMK.
Karabaþ could not be brought to court for the Wednesday hearing because of an arrest warrant. He was released pending trial on Thursday (3 November).
The request for a defence speech in Kurdish made by Altan and Kaya was rejected by court. When their lawyer Reyhan Yalçýndað gave his opinion on the indictment, he pointed out that the number of arrested journalists in Turkey exceeded the figures of Iran and China. Yalçýndað referred to the 2011 reports of the OSCE and the International Press Institute.
"They are being prosecuted because of their journalistic activities"
Journalists Altan and Kaya are facing imprisonment of between ten and fifteen years. The case was adjourned to 28 November.
On 17 April, Altan, Kaya and Karabaþ and another five people were taken into custody under allegations of propaganda and of having made exaggerated news about operations in Diyarbakýr. The news were broadcasted by Roj TV and the Denge Mesopotamia Radio.
Subsequent to the procedures of the prosecution, suspect Ýbrahim Kaya was released on 19 April. It was decided to try three people un-detained, among them Mehmet Karabaþ. Four people were arrested, including Erdoðan Altan and Kadri Kaya. Later on, an arrest warrant was issued about Karabaþ. He was caught in Istanbul on 22 May and taken to prison.
