Changes to Press Law Acquit Journalist Kara

Journalist Sinan Kara, who was jailed when he was the owner of the now-closed "Datca News" newspaper, for not "delivering the local official two copies of the newspaper," was acquitted the second time he stood trial for the same reason. His acquittal was a result of the amendments to the Press Law.

The ruling of a Datca court on September 7 was delivered to Kara on October 7.

The Datca court made a ruling on the case overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeals on July 1, 2004 on grounds of the amendments to the Press Law. The court acquitted Kara on grounds of the amendments to the Press Law, approved on June 26, 2004.

The court ruled that the current Press Law makes it a requirement to deliver newspapers to the state prosecutors, and not the local officials. It added that this regulation made the crime void.

Kara had been sued for "not delivering to the senior local official" the 14 copies of newspaper published between January 18 and December 26, 2000. (EO/BB/EA/YE)