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JOURNALIST RECEIVES JAIL TERMS FOR NEWSPAPER HEADLINE
BIAnet.org
Oct 24 2012
Turkey
A court in Istanbul sentenced journalist Reyhan Capan, the
editor-in-chief and publisher of the daily Ozgur Gundem, to one year
and three months in prison for a single headline that appeared on
the paper.
Istanbul - BIA News Center
The Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court sentenced Reyhan Capan, the
editor-in-chief and publisher of the daily Ozgur Gundem, to one year
and three months in prison on terrorism related charges solely due
to a headline that appeared on the newspaper.
The headline entitled "Revolt Speaks" ("Soz Serhıldanın") which
appeared on Ozgur Gundem's March 21st issue, amounts to making
terrorist propaganda, according to the court.
"The government which is trying to muffle our voice through every means
is not letting up on its repression and punishment," the newspaper
said in its response to the verdict.
Ozgur Gundem also stressed the fact that the passing of the sentence
coincided with the publication of the 2012 press freedom report of
the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ.)
The government is still pushing on with its operations to oppress
the Kurdish press and cow it into submission," they said.
Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş launched the initial
probe on May 7 after he decided that the titles "Revolt Speaks"
("Soz Serhıldanın,") "Ceaseless Action Until Freedom" ("Ozgurluğe
Kadar Kesintisiz Eylem") and "The Kurds' Amed and Istanbul Newroz"
("Kurtlerin Amed ve Istanbul Newrozu") were in praise of the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK.)
Capan consequently received a prison sentence of one year during the
second hearing of the trial. The court then raised his sentence to one
year and six months on the grounds that the crime had been committed
through the press but again reduced it down to one year and three
months due to the fact that Capan had no prior criminal record.
The court delegation also ruled against suspending Capan's sentence
because "he showed no penitence, and our court [does not fully believe
that] the suspect will refrain from committing a crime again." (EKN)
http://bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/141638-journalist-receives-jail-terms-for-newspaper-headline
BIAnet.org
Oct 24 2012
Turkey
A court in Istanbul sentenced journalist Reyhan Capan, the
editor-in-chief and publisher of the daily Ozgur Gundem, to one year
and three months in prison for a single headline that appeared on
the paper.
Istanbul - BIA News Center
The Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court sentenced Reyhan Capan, the
editor-in-chief and publisher of the daily Ozgur Gundem, to one year
and three months in prison on terrorism related charges solely due
to a headline that appeared on the newspaper.
The headline entitled "Revolt Speaks" ("Soz Serhıldanın") which
appeared on Ozgur Gundem's March 21st issue, amounts to making
terrorist propaganda, according to the court.
"The government which is trying to muffle our voice through every means
is not letting up on its repression and punishment," the newspaper
said in its response to the verdict.
Ozgur Gundem also stressed the fact that the passing of the sentence
coincided with the publication of the 2012 press freedom report of
the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ.)
The government is still pushing on with its operations to oppress
the Kurdish press and cow it into submission," they said.
Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş launched the initial
probe on May 7 after he decided that the titles "Revolt Speaks"
("Soz Serhıldanın,") "Ceaseless Action Until Freedom" ("Ozgurluğe
Kadar Kesintisiz Eylem") and "The Kurds' Amed and Istanbul Newroz"
("Kurtlerin Amed ve Istanbul Newrozu") were in praise of the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK.)
Capan consequently received a prison sentence of one year during the
second hearing of the trial. The court then raised his sentence to one
year and six months on the grounds that the crime had been committed
through the press but again reduced it down to one year and three
months due to the fact that Capan had no prior criminal record.
The court delegation also ruled against suspending Capan's sentence
because "he showed no penitence, and our court [does not fully believe
that] the suspect will refrain from committing a crime again." (EKN)
http://bianet.org/english/freedom-of-expression/141638-journalist-receives-jail-terms-for-newspaper-headline