Lawyers to Object to Reporters Arrest

Reporters Evrim Dengiz and Nesrin Yazar of the Dicle News Agency, were detained as they were covering the demonstrations staged on the anniversary of Abdullah Ocalan's arrest in the Akdeniz city of Mersin. They have been in prison for the last 10 days.

The reporters, who were arrested on February 18, are being accused with keeping Molotov cocktails in their car.

Lawyers to object to the arrests

The reporters, who are at the Mersin E-type prison, are being charged with "putting all or a part of the state's territories under the rule of a foreign state, destroying the unity of the state, separating a part of territory from the rule of state, and weakening the independence of state," as stated in article 302/1 of the Penal Code.

With the demand of the Mersin Republic Prosecutor, the judge took a confidentiality decision on the file. Thus, the lawyers were not able to study the file. The lawyers will object to the arrest after studying the file.

DIHA officials, who made a press statement on February 20 in the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association, said that the accusations are unacceptable and claimed that the reporters were arrested through a police plot.

DIHA: Yazar had been threatened

DIHA Agency said that reporter Yazar had been harassed threatened by the police after preparing a news story on Umit Gonultas, who had been killed during the February 15 protests last year.

Dengiz and Yazar were taken to the Mersin Republic Prosecutor's Office after remaining under detention for two days. The reporters, who used their right to remain silent at the police station, were sent to the judge before making a deposition. Dengiz and Yazar were arrested after long hours of questioning. (EO/EA/YE)