Writer Nurcan Kaya faces up to 5 years in prison over a tweet

* Photo: Nurcan Kaya / Twitter

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The prosecutor's office has presented its final opinion as to the accusations in the trial where human rights defender and writer Nurcan Kaya is facing charges due to her social media messages.

At the third hearing held at the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court today (June 9), the prosecutor demanded up to five years in prison for Kaya on charge of "successively propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

While Kaya did not attend the hearing, her attorney Erselan Aktan was present in the courtroom. As reported by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the prosecutor was the first to take the floor. Stating that the office had no request of an extension of inquiry, the prosecutor presented the final opinion, where there was a reference to the following post:

"Not only Kurds but all people residing in Kobanê are in resistance. Democrat Arabs are also resisting..."

According to the prosecutor's office, with this tweet dated 2014, Kaya publicly "justified, praised and encouraged the forceful, violent and threatening methods of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) and People's Protection Units (YPG)". The office requested her penalization for "successive terrorist propaganda" via the press.

Attorney Aktan noted that they do not accept the prosecutor's opinion and requested time to present their defenses against it.

The court granted Kaya and her attorneys time until the next hearing, for which the date was set to September 27, 2021. (HA/SD)