Punishing Radio Broadcasts over the Internet

A Turkish court handed Ozgur Radyo and its chief coordinator Fusun Erdogan a fine of 4 billion Turkish lira for broadcasting over the Internet despite a RTUK order. The court postponed the fine. The defense will appeal the case.

Erol Önderoğlu

Fusun Erdogan, chief coordinator of the "Ozgur Radyo" (Free Radio) in Istanbul, stood trial for broadcasting over the Internet after the Radio and Television Higher Board (RTUK) ordered the radio off the air.

The court handed the radio and Erdogan a total of 4 billion Turkish lira (USD 3,000), then postponed the fine. The court said the radio programs were being broadcasted over the Internet since August 5, 2002.

An Istanbul court on Wednesday sentenced Erdogan to six months in prison, then commuted to sentence to a fine.

The court said publishing radio data over the Internet despite the fact that the radio had been ordered off the air was the same as broadcasting over the radio.

The court first handed a fine to the company and sentenced Erdogan to six months in prison. It then commuted Erdogan's sentence to a fine, which amounted to a total of 4 billion Turkish lira (USD 3,000).

Then the court postponed the fine and said there was no need to confiscate the radio's equipments.

Defense lawyer Akif Karapinar said they would appeal the case and added that if the outcome is still negative, they would consider taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). (EO/BB/EA/YE)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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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.