Eren Keskin and Reyhan Çapan Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison

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The former Co-Editor-in-Chief of Özgür Gündem daily newspaper, which has been closed by a Statutory Decree, Eren Keskin and its former Managing Editor Reyhan Çapan have been each sentenced to 7.5 years in prison as per the Turkish Criminal Law Articles No. 301 and No. 299.

The court has also given prison sentences for the former columnist of the newspaper Ayşe Batumlu, its former reporter Ersin Çaksu and its former Co-Editor-in-Chief Hüseyin Aykol, but their prison sentences have been postponed.

7.5 years of prison sentence for Keskin and Çapan

In the lawsuit filed as per the Turkish Penal Law Article No. 301, Çapan and Keskin have been charged with "degrading Turkishness, the Republic, institutions and organs of the state." The court has ruled that Çapan and Keskin shall be sentenced to 2 years 3 months in prison without any reductions in their penalty considering their "pasts and social relations."

In the lawsuit filed as per the Turkish Penal Law Article No. 299, Çapan and Keskin have been charged with "insulting the President of the Republic of Turkey." The court has ruled that they shall be sentenced to 5 years 3 months in prison.

The penalties of Çaksu, Aykol and Batumlu have been postponed

While the former reporter of the newspaper Ersin Çaksu, its former Co-Editor-in Chief Hüseyin Aykol and its former columnist Ayşe Batumlu have been charged with the same offences as per the Turkish Criminal Law Article No. 299, their penalties have been postponed.

İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance has ruled that the former columnist of the newspaper attorney Ayşe Batumlu shall be sentenced to 5 months in prison on charge of "inciting to commit crime." The penalty of Batumlu has also been postponed.

There are currently 143 lawsuits which have been filed against Eren Keskin. (EA/SD)