Journalist Murat Çelikkan Released

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Human rights advocate, journalist Murat Çelikkan was released on Saturday (October 21).

Çelikkan was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison for participating in the Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign for Özgür Gündem daily, that was closed through a statutory decree issued under the State of Emergency.

He entered Kırklareli Prison on August 14, and was transferred to open prison on October 14.

Following his transfer, his attorneys submitted a motion requesting that he be released on probation.

About Murat Çelikkan

He has been working as a reporter, editor, columnist and editor-in-chief during his 25-year journalism life.

He has actively taken part in the human rights movement; he founded the Human Rights Association, Amnesty International Turkey, Helsinki Citizens' Association and took place in the board of directors. He worked on projects concerning the Kurdish question and media ethics.

He is the director at Truth, Justice, Memory Center of which he is among the founders.

What happened?

Supporting the Özgür Gündem's Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign, Murat Çelikkan served as the Editor-in-Chief at Özgür Gündem's issue dated May 28, 2016.

The trial was heard at İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court on May 16, 2017 and Çelikkan was found guilty for "terror propaganda". The court board comprising Pınar Gezen Atanian and Kadri Arslan didn't apply remission on the ground that "the suspect hasn't shown sufficient remorse".

On his defense on May 17, 2017, Çelikkan had explained why the reports published on the day of his editorship-in-chief cannot be counted as "crime"

For being the Editor-in-Chief on Watch on a daily issue of Özgür Gündem daily, Çelikkan was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison on the charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization". (HK/DG)

* Photograph: Cem Erciyes