Police Pressure After Critical Article

Editor of the local Emirdağ newspaper, Koyuncu has been arrested following an article in which he criticized the local police. Several officers complained against him and Koyuncu will face trial on May 24. He quoted claims of abuse by the police.

Erol Önderoğlu

Editor-in-chief of the local Emirdağ daily, Mustafa Koyuncu is on trial with regard to claims of "insulting a public officer" in an article.

He criticized police officers on duty at the local station with an article titled "Should we enter the EU like that? They misuse their authority", that appeared on the issue of March 12, 2007.

Following its publication, the journalist had been arrested during a random traffic control and he stayed in prison for a week.

He denoted the incident as follows: "The traffic control stopped our vehicle and the officer told me to 'vanish for 180 days'".

Koyuncu quoted the incident at his newspaper, adding other claims of abuse and bad treatment at the local police station

Several police officers complained against Koyuncu and he will face the court on May 24.(EÖ/NZ/EÜ)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

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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.