Journalist Aziz Oruç not released

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Charged with "membership of an organization" and "propagandizing for an organization," journalist Aziz Oruç had his second hearing at the Ağrı 2nd Heavy Penal Court today (September 21).

The court has ruled that he shall remain behind bars.

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

As part of the same lawsuit, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Doğubayazıt District Co-Chair Abdullah Ekelek and Muhammet İkram Müftüoğlu were also arrested pending trial. Journalist Dicle Müftüoğlu, Turgay İlboğa and Yücel İlhan are the other three defendants in the case.

CLICK - Court rules Aziz Oruç shall remain behind bars

Detained on December 11, 2019 and arrested seven days later, Oruç is still held in the Patnos Type L Prison.

Journalists were not allowed to attend today's hearing on the ground of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Making his defense in his second hearing today, Oruç reiterated his previous statement and underlined that his life is at risk due to the pandemic. He also noted that he had no contact with any organization.

However, the court has ruled that the arrest of journalist Aziz Oruç shall continue. His next hearing will be held on November 9, 2020.   

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. (AS/SD)