Journalist Horuz Sentenced to 15 Years

Memik, the general director of the Worker Villager newspaper, is convicted of being a member of an illegal organization. He is currently in the Sincan F-type prison. According to Memik there is a plot against him.

Erol Önderoğlu

The Court of Cassations approved the prison sentence handed out to journalist Memik Horuz. Horuz was found guilty of "being a member of the illegal TKP/ML TIKKO organization."

His wife Seza Horuz said she was thinking of appealing the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The Ankara State Security Court (DGM) sentenced Horuz to 15 years in prison based on article 168/2 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

Horuz, who is in the Sincan F-type prison (Turkey's maximum security prisons) said that "confessor" Erol Cetin was lying. Horuz said there is a plot against him because of his political identity and his thoughts.

Uygun: He stayed for 15 days, he interviewed us

Defendant "confessor" Erol Cetin, who wanted to take advantage of a regret reduction in his sentence, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.

"A journalist called Zeki Uygun joined the group," said Cetin.

"He stayed with us for 15 days, he videotaped and took photographs. He interviewed the group leaders and me. The interviews, photographs, and Zeki Uygun's observations were published in the Free Future magazine. Zeki Uygun is actually Memik Horuz," said Cetin.

Defendant Horuz rejected Cetin's statements. "Everyone knows me. I don't need to use a false name. They want to punish me so that Erol Cetin is salvaged," Horuz said.

Horuz was detained on June 17, 2001 in Istanbul. He was arrested in Tokat because of charges of "being a member of an illegal organization." (BB/EA/NM)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

all articles of the author

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.