Journalist Hatice Kamer acquitted, again
* Photo: Murat Bayram / Twitter
Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish
Five years ago, Hatice Kamer, a reporter for BBC Türkçe and Voice of America, covered the press statements held by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and shared the pictures from these statements on her social media account.
Put on trial again over these social media posts, Hatice Kamer has been acquitted of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization".
Facing up to seven and a half years in prison, Kamer had her final hearing at the Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court today (February 9). While Kamer and her attorney Pelda Vesek appeared before the judge, her relatives and journalists also followed the hearing.
Making her defense, Kamer said that the related social media account belongs to her, adding that she shared the messages cited as criminal evidence against herself for purposes of news reporting.
Noting that she did not share a post for purposes of propaganda, journalist Kamer rejected the charges and requested her acquittal.
Pronouncing his opinion as to the accusations, the prosecutor of the hearing said that the related social media posts did not praise the methods of the armed organization involving force, violence and threat.
Accordingly, the prosecutor demanded that Kamer be acquitted as the legal elements of the crime were not constituted.
Handing down its judgement without having a recess, the court board has concluded that Kamer's posts are not defined as a crime in the law and ruled that she shall be acquitted of the offense charged.
What happened?
Journalist Hatice Kamer shared pictures from two events on social media; one of these events was the meeting where the DTK declared its decision of autonomy in 2015 and the other one was a press statement where the hunger strikes, which were also joined by 50 HDP MPs, mayors and politicians, were announced to the public in 2016.
After the police did an "open-source examination" on her social media account, it was alleged that Kamer "propagandized for a terrorist organization" as the pictures of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), were seen in her social media posts.
In the lawsuit filed in 2019, the local court ruled for her acquittal by issuing a preliminary proceedings report without holding a hearing. However, the court of appeals overturned this ruling on procedural grounds and ruled that the journalist should stand trial again. (HA/SD)