PEN Supports Tried Journalist Şener

The Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court tries Milliyet newspaper journalist Nedim Şener on the grounds of his book "The Dink Murder and the Intelligence Lies", in which he criticizes the Turkish gendarmerie, police and secret service in respect to the killing of Trukish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Şener stands accused for "publishing a classified document".

In yesterday's hearing (17 February), the 11^th court inquired information from the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court where the Hrant Dink murder case is heard whether the "classified" document was read during one of the hearings.

Şener is facing a total prison sentence of 32.5 years in three different cases concerning his book about the Dink murder. "I particularly wrote this book upon the motion of the inspection reports related to the neglect of public officials like Ramazan Akyürek towards religious murder. Which journalist asks for permission from court to obtain a classified document?" the journalist argued.

Support from PEN and defendant Göktaş

Yesterday's hearing was attended by PEN Writers Union Secretary General Eugene Schoulgin, brother of assassinated Hrant Dink Orhan Dink, human rights activist Özlem Dalkıran and defendand Kemal Göktaş to express their support for Şener. Göktaş appeared at court the previous day for his own hearing in the context of the very same charges of publishing a "confidential document".

Şener stands trial under charges of exposing public officials struggling against terror as targets for terror organizations and of publishing a confidential document. The case is to be continued on 28 April.

"Murder case and cases of journalists progress with different speed"

Schoulgin commeted, "These trials cannot be perceived as separate cases. This is a demonstration of power against journalists. In the rest of Europe it is not a crime to write about this kind of cases. The different speed between the progression of the murder case and the cases of the journalists is most disturbing".

"The judges should urgently be trained accordingly if they are so sensitive about the writings of the journalists".

The complaint about journalist Şener was filed by Head of Intelligence Office Ramazan Akyürek, Intelligence Office Directorate police civil servant Muhittin Zenit, Trabzon Intelligence Branch Manager Fatih Sarı and Istanbul Police Directorate Deputy Chief Ali Fuat Yılmazer. (EÖ/VK)