VAN - An indictment was prepared against 5 journalists 4 of whom are currently behind bars on the allegation of 'being a member of a terrorist organization'. The journalists who are sought to be sentenced with an indictment copy pasted from other indictments are accused of their interviews with sources and the news they wrote.
The investigation against Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporters Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur, Jinnews reporter Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala, and MA reporter Zeynep Durgut who is tried without arrest that broke the story about two villagers thrown from a helicopter during a military operation in the Çatak district of Van is completed. The indictment prepared by the Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office was accepted by the Van 5th High Criminal Court.
PROSECUTOR SEEKS PRISON SENTENCE
In the 14 page indictment, the 5 journalists are accused of 'being members of a terrorist organization'. Nazan Sala was also accused of 'propagandizing a terrorist organization'. A decision of non-prosecution was given for former newspaper distributers Ramazan Çınar, Ferdi Sertkal, Mikail Tunçdemir, Fehim Çetiner and Şükran Erdem.
EVIDENCE
In the indictment, suspect defenses, tape records and evaluation reports, physical follow-up reports, search and seizure reports, open source research reports, document review reports, digital material review reports, siezed items and documents, law enforcement report and police records were included as evidence.
NO SPORTS OR MAGAZINE NEWS!
In the indictment, the agencies the journalists work for was accused of 'making provocative news against the state' by the Intelligence Branch Directorate. The indictment also included the access ban orders on the agencies which were accused of never making sports or magazine news because the 'press committee' of the organization did not need such news.
BILEN ACCUSED OF WORKING AT THE MESOPOTAMIA AGENCY
Our reporter Adnan Bilen was accused of having Abdullah Öcalan's photos which he used for an article, and working at Mesopotamia Agency (MA).
SALA ACCUSED OF HER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
The reports stated that there were no evidences of any crimes in the materials confiscated during the search in Sala's apartment. However Sala was accused of having copies of Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat Newspapers and some social media posts about the clashes with ISIS in North and East Syria and some posts critical of the AKP.
HAVING A PRESS ID CARD IS A CRIME
Imprisoned Jinnews reporter Şehriban Abi was accused of having a scarf with the colours red,yellow and green, having some issues of the Jineoloji magazines, some notes on ClawEagle operation of the TSK and the Press ID card of the agency she worked for.
ACCUSED OF WRITING NEWS ON SICK PRISONER
Cemil Uğur was accused of having a book about Kurds and Armanians were subjected to genocide, having copies of Democratic Modernity magazine and some books written in Kurdish. Uğur was also accused of interviewing Mahir Aktaş about his brother Ergin Aktaş who is a sick prisoner.
NEWS VIDEO
Zeynep Durgut was accused of recording a video where people shouted slogans in favor of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
'COPY PASTED ACCUSATIONS'
In the continuation of the indictment, 5 journalists were demanded to be punished with the accusation of "being a member of a terrorist organization" due to their interviews with news sources and the songs they shared and their social media posts. It was noteworthy that the individual punishment requests for 5 journalists were completely similar. The journalists were also accused of not having a press card issued by the Presidency.
MA / Gökhan Altay-Müjdat Can