Behind bars for 334 days, journalist Aziz Oruç released

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Charged with "membership of an organization" and "propagandizing for an organization," journalist Aziz Oruç had his third hearing at the Ağrı 2nd Heavy Penal Court today (November 9).

The court has ruled that Oruç shall be released.

CLICK - Journalist Aziz Oruç Arrested

CLICK - Journalist Aziz Oruç not released

Forced to enter Turkey through the Iran-Turkey border, Oruç was detained and arrested in eastern province of Ağrı on December 18, 2019.

'Being a journalist and a Kurd is not a crime'

Arrested in Patnos Type L Closed Prison, journalist Oruç attended today's hearing via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS).

Testifying at the hearing, Oruç said that he had requested that Iran and Armenia send him to Turkey legally, but his request was not met:

"They did not meet my requests. I had to come to Turkey with my own means. As I crossed the border illegally, a lawsuit was filed against me on charge of membership of the organization. How can an illegal crossing of a border be deemed as a reason for membership of an organization? I have been working as a journalist for years. In Ankara, Bingöl, Diyarbakır and Van... I was working as a journalist at Hewler last. These are all my activities. I am a journalist and a Kurd. Neither of them is a crime."

Handing down its judgement after the recess, the court has ruled that journalist Aziz Oruç shall be released. Ruling for the release of the journalist despite the prosecutor's demand for the continuation of his arrest, the court has imposed judicial control measures on Oruç.

The next hearing will be held on April 16, 2021.

What happened?

Journalist Aziz Oruç, a reporter for the Dicle News Agency (DİHA) closed by a Statutory Decree, had been living in Iraq for the past three years due to the lawsuits filed against him in Turkey.

Leaving Iraq for Iran to reach Europe through Armenia, he was taken into custody at Armenia border gate. Subjected to police violence in custody in Armenia, Oruç was turned over to the soldiers of Iran.

Oruç was forced to cross the border to Turkey through the wire fence on Turkey-Iran border on December 11. He was taken into custody with HDP Doğubayazıt District Co-Chair Abdullah Ekelek, whom he asked for help, when they were about to leave the city on December 11.

In the indictment filed against Aziz Oruç after spending 174 days behind bars, he was charged with "being a member of a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization." The only evidence brought against the journalist for the former accusation was the conviction derived from the fact that "he entered the country through illegal ways, which suggested his membership of PKK/KCK terrorist organization."

As part of another lawsuit heard by the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court, which announced its ruling on March 2, 2020, Aziz Oruç was sentenced to 2 years, 1 month in prison on the ground that "he repeatedly propagandized for a terrorist organization" with his social media posts.

At his third hearing on November 9, 2020, the court ruled that journalist Oruç should be released on probation. (HA/SD)