Prison Sentence of WSJ Turkey Reporter Albayrak Overturned

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The Gaziantep Court of Appeal has overturned the 25-month prison sentence previously given to the former Turkey reporter of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Ayla Albayrak.

Albayrak was sentenced to 2 years and 1 month in prison on October 10, 2017 for "propagandizing for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)" in an article that she wrote for the newspaper.

Announcing its verdict, the Gaziantep Court of Appeal has cited statute of limitations and dismissed the case on procedural grounds. The court did not rule on the substance of the charges.

Albayrak: I attribute the verdict to the image campaign conducted in the West

Speaking to bianet about the dismissal, Albayrak has said,

"Personally, I attribute this verdict to the image campaign that the government has been conducting in the West; however, it is, of course, not possible for me to know its background.

"Since the case was dismissed on procedural grounds, it is difficult to say 'it is a good sign' in terms of freedom of the press."

Content of the article

The lawsuit in question was filed after her article entitled "Urban Warfare Escalates in Turkey's Kurdish Majority Southeast" was published on the Wall Street Journal on August 19, 2015.

Above the article was also a video footage that was captured in Silopi in Turkey's southeastern province of Şırnak and showed the conflict between the security forces and the PKK. The video also featured interviews with mayors and the inhabitants of Silopi.

Albayrak was summoned to the security directorate to depose in November 2015. The lawsuit was filed against the journalist in April 2016.

About Ayla Albayrak

Ayla Albayrak worked as a reporter for the US-based Wall Street Journal newspaper from 2010 to 2017. She penned articles on the Kurdish question and refugees from Syria.

She is currently working as a freelance journalist.

Albayrak attended the "Turkey in International Press" session of the "From School to Newsroom" (OHO) program of bianet in 2011 as a speaker.

She is a citizen of Finland and Turkey.

Click here for the news and articles of Ayla Albayrak published on the WSJ. (EKN/SD)