Columnist Özgür Amed Arrested
Özgür Gündem newspaper columnist Özgür Amed, a pen name that means “free Diyarbakır”, have been arrested for attending a demonstration in Diyarbakır.
The incident happened as he was detained on 31 December 2011 in Diyarbakır and faced a prosecution.
The conviction issued by Diyarbakır 7th High Criminal Court have also been approved by Court of Cessation.
Amed was found guilty of violation Turkish Penal Code Article 220/6 for “committing an illegal organization crime while not being an illegal organization member”. He will serve 3 years 1 month and 15 days in prison. It is likely that he will have to serve three forth of his sentence before asking for probation. Özgür Amed have also applied to Constitutional Court.
Emine Şeker, his advocate, said that 18 other demonstrators on the same day as her client with 3 being arrested and released afterwards. She also added that some of the defendants were acquitted by 4th High Criminal Court while her client and 3 other defendants have been convicted by 7th High Criminal Court.
Özgür Amed will be sent to a prison in Diyarbakır.
Özgür Amed is also contributing writer at bianet.
What happened in Roboski?
On December 28, 2011, Turkish military jets bombarded 34 Kurdish civilians from Ortasu/Roboski and Gülyazı/Bujehon villages located on the southeastern border.
On June 11, 2013, the case was transferred from a civil court to a military court due to duty assignments.
Diyarbakır Prosecutor’s Office charged the Roboski Massacre suspects with “neglected homicide” of 34 individuals.
On July 18, 2014, Roboski families applied to the Constitutional Court.
Several protest have been held across Turkey so far in the aftermath and anniversaries of the incident. (NV/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.