Journalist Demir Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison Over 2 Books of Her

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Journalist Arzu Demir has been sentenced in total to 6 years in prison because of her books titled “Dağın Kadın Hali (Womanly State of the Mountain)” and “Devrimin Rojava Hali (Revolution’s State of Rojava)”.

Speaking to bianet, Demir remarked that the trial is a “cyclical political trial”, said “This verdict is a proof that the trials are political. I've just practiced journalism. The state is fighting an organization which it calls 'terrorist', the people have right to know about this organization".

“The prosecutor imposed the penalty from upper limit. I was expecting this. My response is: I am glad I wrote, I am still writing”.

Demir was sentenced to 3 years in prison for each of her two books by İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court.

"No remorse expressed"

The court also didn't exercise remission on the ground that the journalist "didn't express remorse".

What had happened?

Journalist Arzu Demir was put on trial on charges of “propagandizing for an [illegal] organization”, “praising the crime and the criminal” and “inciting to crime” in her book titled “Womanly State of the Mountain”.

Besides the claims of “propagandising for the PKK”, the bill of indictment also included remarks that the respective interviews in the book were not current news and did not concern the public opinion.

The book “Womanly State of the Mountain”, which comprised interviews with 11 guerilla women, was published by Ceylan Publishing House in November 2014. Following its 7th issue, İstanbul 3rd Criminal Judgeship of Peace has ruled that the book be pulled off the shelves.

The book addresses the creation and development of the roles of womanhood and manhood in the mountains based on personal experiences of guerilla women. While seeking for an answer to the question, why women take it to the mountains, Demir also expresses her personal opinions regarding “arms, mountain, death, love and sexuality”.

About Arzu Demir

Arzu Demir was born in 1974 and graduated from Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Environmental Engineering. She has been working as a journalist for 17 years and is currently active in Etkin News Agency (ETHA) and Fırat News Agency (ANF). She is also among the 46 Kurdish press employees who were put on trial in the lawsuit of press members of Kurdistan Communities’ Union (KCK). (EA/TK)