Kirandi Case Adjourned to Sept. 15

The case against four reporter and five human rights activist for covering the 2005 release of a Turkish soldier kidnapped by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and being there to pick him up is to resume on September 15 with the prosecutor reading his final opinion.

Kirandi was released by the PKK on July 11, 2005 and while the accused activists were involved in receiving him safe and sound, the newsmen were covering the incident as a news report.

All 9 suspects are charged, however, with conducting propaganda of an organization and its aims, an offence that carries a five-year prison sentence.

The last hearing of the Kirandi case was held at the Tunceli Court of First Instance on September 8. Five of the defendants, human rights activist-artist Ferhat Tunc, Tunceli Municipality Provincial Council member Ozgur Soylemez, Dogan News Agency (DHA) reporter Ferit Demir and Anatolian Agency (AA) reporter Haydar Toprakci were present at this hearing.

The other defendants Human Rights Association (IHD) Regional Representative Mihdi Perincek, IHD Diyarbakir Representative Selahattin Demirtas, journalist-writer Umur Hozatli and Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reporters Abdulkadir Ozbek and Rustu Demirkaya did not attend the hearing. Demirkaya is already under arrest on different charges. (EO/II/YE)