Journalist Bal: I Have Done Nothing Wrong

On trial for not informing legal authorities about the funeral he was filming, reporter Bal has had to defend himself in court.

Emine Özcan

The Beytüşşebap prosecution in the Sirnak province, southeastern Turkey, has charged Emin Bal for not informing legal authorities when people shouted "criminal" slogans at the funeral of a PKK fighter he was filming.

The charge has been justified with Article 278 of the Penal Code, which says that "a person who does not inform legal or administrative authorities when a crime is being committed is to be punished with up to a year imprisonment."

The article is often used when someone knows the whereabouts of a kidnapped person but does not disclose them, or if a person is aware of the illegal use of electricity.

Bal's case has been postponed until January 2008. Bal, who works for Dogan News Agency, told bianet: "I told the judge that I fulfilled my duty as a journalist and that I did nothing wrong."

Should Bal be punished, this case would set a precedent for all journalists, who would have to report criminal activities to the authorities. It would also mean that journalists would have to become experts on criminal law, in order to be able to discern all crimes... (EÖ/AG)