Both Zarakolu and Güler were accused under article 7/2 of the Anti Terror Law of "spreading propaganda" for the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). At the same trial, Mehmet Güler was convicted to a fifteen month prison term.
While English PEN welcomes the acquittal of Ragip Zarakolu, it is disappointed by the conviction of Mehmet Güler, an act that breaches Turkey’s obligations under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Mehmet Güler remains free as he appeals against the sentence.
Acquittals needed in freedom of expression trials
Attending the trial were Eugene Schoulgin, International Secretary of International PEN, and Alexis Krikorian of the International Publisher’s Association.
Schoulgin commented on the conviction: "In November 2009, the prosecutor did not want to proceed with the case. In March 2010, a new prosecutor reversed that decision and decided to go ahead. It is not only Turkish legislation which needs reform. Practice also needs change and stability. Additionally, it is not only the big names attracting media attention like Elif Shafak or Orhan Pamuk, who need acquittal. The lesser-known names need acquittals too, in those freedom of expression trials."
Zarakolu, aged 62, has been fighting for freedom of expression in Turkey for over 30 years, publishing books on issues including minority and human rights. Please find out more facts about Zarakolu biography here and here.
Send an appeal
English PEN recommends to send appeals to the Turkish authorities:
– Welcoming the acquittal of Ragip Zarakolu but expressing concern that the author Mehmet Güler was sentenced to a prison term;
– Pointing out that if Güler’s sentence is a
violation of Turkey’s commitments under both Article 19 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights
– Expressing the hope that Mehmet Güler will be granted a full acquittal following his appeal hearing;
– Urging that the Turkish government will take this opportunity to reconsider how it handles cases of freedom of expression and to review all relevant laws with a view to bringing them into accord with international human rights standards, in particular the ICCPR and European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory.
Send to:
Mr Sadullah Ergin
Minister of Justice
06669 Kizilay
Ankara
Turkey
Fax: 00 90 312 419 3370
Please also send copies to the Turkish Ambassador in the UK:
His Excellency Mehmet Yiğit Alpogan
43 Belgrave Square
London
SW1X 8PA
Fax: 020 7393 0066
Contacts:
For further details contact Sara Whyatt at the Writers in Prison Committee London Office: Brownlow House, 50/51 High Holborn, London WC1V 6ER UK Tel: 44 (0) 20 7405 0338 Fax: 44 (0) 20 7405 0339 e-mail: wipc@internationalpen.org.uk
Not the only case
Critical journalists, writers and opposition voices in Turkey are being gagged by a barrage of threats. They are facing long prison sentences simply for reporting on any content linked to the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), say the IPS Communication Foundation (BIANET) and other International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) members.
Free expression and press freedom violations also include speaking th
e Kurdish language, carrying out investigative reports critical of private sector companies, and anti-terror laws used to imprison journalists. But amid all the violations, a prominent publisher and an author were acquitted in separate cases.
Reporter Mehmet Baransu is facing a 10-year prison term for publishing allegedly classified documents linked to PKK militants attacking a military outpost that resulted in the death of 17 soldiers in 2008. Also, two other newspaper journalists are each facing seven-and-a-half years in prison for publishing interviews with members of the PKK.
Turkey has repeatedly used its restrictive anti-terror law to muzzle the media, says the International Press Institute (IPI). BIANET and other IFEX members report that Turkish journalist Irfan Aktan was sentenced on 4 June to 15 months in prison for quoting a member of the PKK in one of his articles.
Aktan’s editor was fined US$10,393 for the same article, says CPJ. Both were accused of dispersing propaganda. According to BIANET, a total of 103 people, including 15 journalists, were arraigned in the first quarter of this year on charges linked to the anti-terror law.
Kurdish forbidden
Free expression is under threat on many levels in Turkey. On 9 June, a local court in the province of Mardin handed down a six-month prison sentence each to three former members of the dissolved Democratic Society Party (DTP) for speaking Kurdish during an election campaign.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a privately owned company is threatening to sue news website "EmekDunyasi.net" if it does not remove old reports about union action taken by 400 Yörsan employees in 2008. "This kind of judicial blackmail is a real problem," RSF said. "Few journalists dare to criticise private sector companies or financial groups for fear of reprisals."
Wire-tapping problem
Another press freedom violation that has emerged is wire-tapping the phones of journalists, politicians, memb
ers of the judiciary and officers, reports BIANET. Switchboards of "Milliyet", "Radikal", "Posta" and "Fanatik" newspapers were also illegally wiretapped.
In another rare moment of justice, journalist Nedim Şener was acquitted in the case related to his book "The Dink murder and the intelligence lies", report BIANET and IPI. Şener was sued by several senior police and security service officials and accused of "violation of secrecy" and "identifying officials on anti-terrorist duties as targets." Şener is among a group of 60 journalists chosen as a World Press Freedom Hero by IPI.
Elsewhere, on 8 June, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) unanimously imposed a 3,000 Euro fine on Turkey after it ruled that the seizure of the book "Tarkan: The Star Phenomenon" violated freedom of expression. Originally published in 2001, the book remained banned for close to three years.
HRH London, based on English PEN and the International Freedom of Expression eXchange information. See original articles here and here.
Related links:
Turkish journalist has been sentenced to 15 months in prison under draconian anti-terror laws
