Terror Indictment Against Düzel Dropped

Duzel faces up to five years imprisonment if found guilty on charges of “carrying out propaganda for a terrorist organisation” for the interview she conducted with Democratic Society Party (DTP) founding member Orhan Dogan, published in Radikal on August 15 last year.

The five year jail term sentence looms over both defendants under the Anti-Terror Law and Duzel’s case in particular is being observed closely by professional media organisations and press right activists.

Dogan, a former MP from the defunct Democracy Party (DEP), was put on trial together with Duzel on November 2, 2005 for his remark “you have 3 thousand armed people in your hands and they are waiting on the mountains for six years”, after the Justice Ministry asked the Bagcilar Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the article.

Case prosecutor Omer Karacal said during a recent hearing of the case held a day before May 3 World Press Freedom Day, that he agreed with the defence argument that Duzel’s case was not opened in the legally required time limit.

According to the current Press Law, a case involving an offence committed in print in the context of a daily periodical such as newspaper needs be brought before justice within two months of the offence being committed.

Duzel’s attorney argued in the recent hearing that the date of charges being brought forth against Duzel should be the date when the indictment was accepted.

While prosecutor Karacal expressed his opinion that Duzel’s case fell within the scope of statue of limitations both under the Press Law and the Criminal Proceedings Act, he said that as he did not believe Dogan had committed the offence through press, the case against him was launched in the legal time period.

Chief judge Muhterem Bulut said after the hearing he would examine the case file and adjourned the case to August 10 at 10.55. (EO/KO/II/YE)