Anonymous witness in Kurdish journalists' case admits 'working for state'

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The trial of nine Kurdish journalists, who were detained in October 2022 and subsequently released on June 16, continued with its second hearing at the Ankara 4th Heavy Penal Court.

The proceedings were closely observed by various human rights organizations, including the Freedom for Lawyers Association (ÖHD), Progressive Lawyers' Association (ÇHD), and Human Rights Association (İHD), among others.

During the hearing, Zemo Ağgöz, one of the journalists on trial, emphasized the baseless nature of the allegations against them, saying, "Our journalism is being unjustly criminalized. These groundless accusations are not only targeting our work but also casting doubt on the credibility of the agency we work for. Due to these unfounded claims, I was unable to breastfeed my newborn baby for 45 days." Ağgöz had been taken into custody shortly after giving birth.

The nine journalists are facing charge of "being a member of a terrorist organization."

The anonymous witness

An anonymous witness, identified as "K8Ç4B3L1T5," claimed that journalist Gözelyuz, who had never been working in Van previously, was involved in journalistic activities the city. The witness also expressed uncertainty about journalist Habibe Eren, stating, "I don't have clear information, but I believe she might be a member of the organization."

The anonymous witness further mentioned that their knowledge about the journalists came from their time working at the Mezopotamya Agency (MA). When asked about the duration of their employment at MA, the witness did not provide a direct response.

Regarding the establishment of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) allegedly "under the terrorist organization's instructions," the witness admitted that their information was based on hearsay and lacked concrete evidence.

"Working for the state"

When questioned by lawyer Erol, the witness confirmed that they engaged in these activities on behalf of the state but denied being a public official.

Journalist Gözelyüz, whose digital equipment was confiscated, requested the lifting of the judicial control measure and the return of the seized materials. Gözelyuz defended the legitimacy of the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) and accused the prosecution of attempting to unjustly criminalize both the agency and its employees.

The defense lawyers expressed their clients' denial of the allegations and assured that they would provide detailed statements during subsequent stages of the trial. Additionally, lawyer Hülya Yıldırım requested that all journalists be exempted from attending future hearings.

The court decided to uphold the judicial control measure against the journalists and rejected the request for the return of the digital materials. It was also determined that witnesses Özgür Baran and Hüseyin Dorudeniz would be heard in the upcoming sessions. The next hearing is scheduled for October 26.

The journalists on trial are: Diren Yurtsever, the Editor-in-Chief of Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Deniz Nazlım, the MA Ankara News Chief, and several MA reporters including Berivan Altan, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Emrullah Acar, Ceylan Şahinli, and Habibe Eren. Also included are Öznur Değer, a reporter from JinNews, and Zemo Ağgöz, a former MA intern who has been released under judicial control measures.

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(NT/VK)