Journalists Acquitted from Charges for the Term "Murderers"

On 7 July, the Ankara 17^th Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted Fırat News Agency (ANF) and Yeni Özgür Politika (New free politics) newspaper reporter Ali Barış Kurt and Mehmet Nuri Kökçüoğlu. Both journalists were facing imprisonment on the grounds of several news articles.

Kurt and Kökçüoğlu were tried since 10 March under charges of "praising crime and a criminal", "inciting hatred and hostility amongst the public" and "alienating the public from military service via the media" because of news items published on the internet site GunesinCocuklari.com (Children of the Sun).

Bone of contention: conscientious objection and the word "murderer"

The acquittal decided in Wednesday's hearing (7 July) referred to the journalists' advocacy for the right to conscientious objection and furthermore calling the people who killed 12-year-old Uğur Kaymaz in a military operation "murderers".

Both journalists were tried under articles 318, 215 and 216 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK) upon a complaint filed by the General Staff Presidency. Kurt was represented by his lawyer Senem Doğanoğlu in the latest hearing.

In a statement made after the hearing, Kurt put forward that the trial had been forced against them, saying that "this stemmed from not recognizing the right to conscientious objection and from constraining people in Turkey to be interested in warfare". (EÖ/VK)