Jail Term, Fine for Özgür Gündem Editor-in-Chief on Watch Mater

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Journalist and bianet Project Advisor Nadire Mater, who joined closed Özgür Gündem newspaper’s Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign, appeared before judge today (March 7).

İstanbul 22nd Heavy Penal Court sentenced Mater to 15 months in prison and fined her 6,000 TL (1,500 Euros). The prison sentence was suspended.

Trial of Nadire Mater

Being asked of her last statement, Mater said, “I believe this case needs to be dropped".

"These trials have revealed to public what sort of crackdowns Özgür Gündem and Kurdish media have been confronting. In this regard, I need to thank you".

Mater’s attorney Meriç Eyüboğlu pleaded for Mater.

Noting that Özgür Gündem fought various crackdowns including shut downs, arrest of its employees and them being murdered, Eyüboğlu said Mater joined the campaign to act in solidarity with the newspaper.

Stressing that Anti-Terror Act Articles 6/2 and 7/2 under which Mater is tried, changed in 2013 and that “element of inciting to violence and force” was added in order to render it in accordance with the European Court of the Human Rights (ECtHR) standard:

Eyüboğlu: The court has to take the ECtHR standard into consideration

“The court has to both take the ECtHR standard and reason behind the amendment into consideration. If only the prosecutor had taken them into consideration”.

Emphasizing that coverages like interviews with members of the groups banned via Constitutional Court verdicts cannot form a basis for violations of the freedom of expression, Eyüboğlu added, “Interviews or statements being derogatory against governmental policies doesn’t justify this”.

“It is not a lawful trial”

“We are not face to face with a lawful trial”, said Eyüboğlu and concluded the plead stating “We hope Turkey’s record of the freedom of expression won’t become worse with this verdict”.

Eyüboğlu demanded acquittal of Mater.

The court sentenced Mater to 15 months in prison under Anti-Terror Act Article 7/2 over “terror propaganda”. The sentence was suspended.

The court also fined Mater 6,000 TL, corresponding to 10 months in prison. 

What happened?

Closed Özgür Gündem newspaper's Editor-in-Chief on Watch campaign was launched on May 3, 2016 and ended on August 7, 2016.
56 people joined the campaign.

50 of the attendees faced prosecution. Of the prosecuted, files of the 38 have been turned into cases.

50 investigations launched

50 people against whom lawsuit was filed are as follows:

Faruk Eren, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Ayşe Düzkan, Erol Önderoğlu, Celalettin Can, Mustafa Sönmez, Melda Onur, Fehim Işık, Celal Başlangıç, Eşber Yağmurdereli, Ragıp Duran, Nurcan Baysal, Ömer Ağın, Ahmet Abakay, İhsan Çaralan, Işın Eliçin, Murat Çelikkan, Uğur Karataş, Öncü Akgül, Ayşe Batumlu, Sebahat Tuncel, Saruhan Oluç, Nadire Mater, Beyza Üstün, Mehmet Güç, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Faruk Balıkçı, Şeyhmus Diken, Necmiye Alpay, Jülide Kural, Yıldırım Türker, Ahmet Nesin, Kemal Can, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Hasip Kaplan, Nevin Erdemir, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Hakkı Boltan, Cengiz Baysoy, Kumru Başer, Veysi Altay, Hasan Hayri Şanlı, Hasan Cemal, Deniz Türkali, Dicle Anter, Çilem Küçükkeleş, Said Sefaoğlu, Aydın Engin, İhsan Eliaçık and İmam Canpolat.

38 cases

The 38 editors-in-chief on watch, who are charged with "terror organization propaganda" under Anti-Terror Act (TMK) Article 7/2 and "releasing or publishing terror organizations' statements or declarations" under Article 6,  are as follows:

A. Kumru Başer, Ahmet Nesin, Ayşe Batumlu, Ayşe Düzkan, Beyza Üstün, Can Dündar, Celal Başlangıç, Celalettin Can, Cengiz Baysoy, Çilem Küçükkkeleş, Derya Okatan, Dicle Anter, Erol Önderoğlu, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Faruk Balıkçı, Faruk Eren, Fehim Işık, Hüseyin Tahmaz, Hakkı Boltan, Hasan Cemal, Hasan Hayri Şanlı, İbrahim Bodur, İhsan Çaralan, Julide Kural, M. Ali Çelebi, Murat Çelikkan, Murat Uyurkulak, Nadire Mater, Necmiye Alpay, Nevin Erdemir, Öncü Akgül, Ragıp Duran, Said Sefa, Şanar Yurdatapan, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Veysi Altay, Yıldırım Türker.

Cases brought against 3 writers

Legal action was taken against Ömer Ağın for an article published under the editorship of Celal Başlangıç, against İmam Canpolat for an article published under the editorship of Cengiz Baysoy and against İlham Bakır for an article published under the editorship of Jülide Kural.

Of the 36 Editors-in-Chief on Watch, Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin and Şebnem Korur Fincancı were arrested in June 2016 and released 10 days after it.

Convicted editors

Şanar Yurdatapan, İbrahim Bodur, Cengiz Baysoy ve Çilem Küçükkeleş were fined 1.500 euro under Article 6/2 of the Anti-Terror Law and were sentenced to 15 years in prison (deferred).

İmam Canpolat standing trial together with Baysoy was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison.

Nadire Mater was sentenced to 15 months in prison (deferred) and fined 6,000 TL (1,500 Euros).

Yıldırım Türker was sentenced to 1 year, 10 months and 15 days in prison (deferred).

Hasan Cemal was fined 6,000 TL (1,500 Euros).

Kızılkaya cases

Özgür Gündem Managing Editor İnan Kızılkaya is a suspect in all 38 cases. Kızılkaya's case is being combined with the main trial.

(EA/TK)