Kurdish Journalist Faces 525-Year Prison Sentence

In a hearing held on 18 February, the prosecutor of the Diyarbakır 5^th High Criminal Court demanded a 105-fold prison sentence for journalist Vedat Kurşun, former chief editor of daily Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper, under charges of "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization".

In his final request the prosecutor claimed that detained defendant Kurşun did not change the newspaper's publication policies despite 32 cases pending against the former chief editor on the grounds of 94 offences.

Prosecutor: Publications of PKK calls and announcements

32 cases related to different investigations were merged into the case tried at the Diyarbakır court. Kurşun is facing prison sentence of up to 525 years due to the prosecutor's demand of a105-fold  sentence under charges of "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "membership of a terror organization" based on the Anti-Terror Act. Moreover, the prosecutor requested to keep the journalist in detention.

According to the final speech of the prosecution, the Kurdish daily allegedly published the agenda of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) ever since the newspaper had been established. The prosecutor claimed that many issues of Azadiya Welat published announcements made by senior executives of the organization as well as calls for PKK actions. Furthermore, it was stated in the speech that imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan had been mentioned as the "leader of the Kurdish people".

Journalist Kurşun did not accept the claims made in the prosecutor's final request. Reiterating his defence presented on 20 September 2009, Kurşun stated to have become a victim and requested his acquittal and release.

The journalist's lawyer Servet Özen requested additional time in order to prepare a defence speech according to the prosecutor's final plea. The court accepted Özen's request and decided to keep Kurşun in detention.

Imprisoned for more than one year

Vedat Kurşun had been arrested on 30 January 2009 at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul on the grounds of his refusal to testify in a court case before the Diyarbakır 6^th High Criminal Court. He was detained and transferred to the Diyarbakır D type prison.

On 9 February, the same court sentenced concessionaire and chief editor Ozan Kılınç to 21 years and three months imprisonment under charges of "spreading PKK propaganda" based on news items and articles of 12 issues of the Kurdish daily. (EÖ/VK)