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Hatice Şahin, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish daily Yeni Yaşam, has been sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison for "being a member of a terrorist organization."
The journalist did not attend the hearing at the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court while her lawyer, Resul Temur, was present in the courtroom, MLSA reported.
The court also ruled that the judicial control measures imposed upon Şahin should continue until the verdict becomes final. Temur said they will appeal the verdict.
The hearing
Şahin was facing up to 15 years in prison, with her activities within the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), her phone conversations with her colleagues, and statements about her by anonymous witnesses cited as evidence against her.
The prosecutor's office repeated its opinion as to the accusations, demanding a 15-year prison sentence for the journalist.
In his statement, Temur said they did not agree with the prosecutor's opinion. In order to make the statements of two anonymous witnesses nicknamed Ezel and Firar "relevant," Şahin was detained during an operation that was not related to her, he said.
His client was facing charges because of writings and notes seized during a police raid on her home, added the lawyer.
He further noted that Şahin was not a member, executive or employee of the DTK.
Handing down its judgment, the court sentenced the journalist to 6 years and 3 months in prison for being a member of an "armed terrorist organization."
What happened?
Hatice Şahin was among the 145 people who were detained on October 9, 2018, in an investigation related to the Democratic Society Congress (DTK). she was released with an international travel ban on October 19.
She was indicted for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization" on October 23, 2018.
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(AÖ/VK)
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