Journalist Ilıcak Facing Imprisonment - Again

Prosecutor Alper Tunga Akgülen from the Istanbul 2^nd Criminal Court of First Instance demanded a prison sentence for journalist Nazlı Ilıcak on the grounds of "insulting" Hasan Atilla Uğur, detained defendant of the Ergenekon case, "via the media.

The Ergenekon terror organization, nested within the state and the military, is charged with having plotted to overthrow the government by creating chaos in the country.

In his final plea, the prosecutor requested imprisonment of between three months and two years because of an article entitled "Unsolved murders on the agenda once again" published in the nation-wide Sabah newspaper on 2 December 2008.

Mentioning Uğur as the instigator for killing Özden

In the hearing on 8 July, prosecutor Akgülen claimed that Ilıcak's article was the main reason for Uğur to be perceived as the "abettor of the murder" in the public opinion. Subject of the allegations is the fifth paragraph of Ilıcak's article which read as follows:

"Much more disinformation to obscure the actual incidents may emerge. Yet, it is obvious that the ways are continuously crossing with Ergenekon suspects like Veli Küçük and Atilla Uğur. Many unsolved murders were committed in the region of Kocaeli [east of Istanbul], where Veli Küçük was on duty as the Regional Gendarmerie Commander. It was said that the order to kill Rıdvan Özden, Regiment Commander of Mardin [south-east], was organized by [...]"

The prosecutor reminded the fact that the trial was opened because the publishing of the "unfounded" article "targeted Uğur's honour and dignity" and on the grounds of "attempting to influence a fair trial". Akgülen stated that the article constituted a pejorative value judgement. Regarding the other charges, he demanded Ilıcak's acquittal.

Ilıcak's lawyer is going to prepare his client's defence accordingly.

In her article, Ilıcak also quoted Tomris Özden, wife of Colonel Rıdvan Özden, Regiment Commander of the Mardin Gendarmerie, who was allegedly killed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Tomris Özden said, "My husdband did not die in clashes with the PKK, he was killed". Ilıcak had furthermore mentioned Tomris Özden's opinion that the murder of her husband was related to Ergenekon.

Convicted for criticism of Judge Kaçmaz

Ilıcak was recently convicted in both a compensation case and a criminal trial by reason of her article "The immunity of the President", in which she had described Osman Kaçmaz, President Judge of the 1^st High Criminal Court of Sincan (Ankara) as "officious". (EÖ/VK)