Radio Journalist Charged for Prison Stories

Karakurt, the former manager of the Anatolias Voice radio, who broadcasted programs about the operations at the F-type and Ulucanlar prisons, was acquitted. But a prosecutor appealed the verdict saying he should be sentenced for dangerous incitement.

Erol Önderoğlu

The prosecutor of the Istanbul State Security Court appealed a verdict by a lower court to acquit Seyfullah Karakurt, the top manager of the radio station, "Anatolia's Voice." Karakurt had been charged because of programs about the prison operations in Turkey.

The prosecutor said Karakurt, through those programs, "incited hatred and enmity and could cause clashes among people."

Karakurt had faced one to three years in prison. The prosecutor wanted him to be charged based on law no:312 of the Turkish Penal Code six times.

Karakurt was charged for broadcasting programs in the years 2000 and 2001 about operations at Turkish prisons and developments at the maximum-security F type prisons.

Turkish security forces in 1999 had stormed the prisons when inmates began protesting a government move to transfer them from large wards to smaller, maximum-security F type prisons.

The court, on February 25, 2003, acquitted Karakurt and former program host Selda Demir, who were both charged with "aiding and abetting an illegal organization."

The journalists were then charged for broadcasting programs about the operations to F-type prisons and Ulucanlar Prison. The charges were based on grounds of law no: 169 of the Turkish Penal Code. The prosecutors at the Istanbul State Security Court had advised the judge to acquit Karakurt and

Demir. (EO/BB/EA/NM)

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.