Dissident Journalist Attacked by Municipal Employees

Haci Boğatekin, owner of the Gerger Fırat newspaper in the Gerger district of Adıyaman, southeastern Turkey, was trying to record a fire that had broken out in an area where the municipality dumps waste.

Evidence of malpractice suppressed

When he was trying to take images of the fire, which broke out in the dump and spread to the surrounding forest, municipal employees punched him and injured his face.

His son Özgür Boğatekin told bianet that his father was beaten by municipal staff and relatives of mayor Arif Karatekin. His camera was also broken.

Boğatekin was taken to a health centre in Gerger and treated. He has filed a criminal complaint against mayor Arif Karatekin and his brother İlhan Karatekin.

Previous tensions between journalist and local authorities

A few days before, the newspaper had reported on the workers who had taken the municipality to court after being dismissed without being paid severance pay. The article was entitled "Shock seizure for the municipality".

Özgür Boğatekin said that before beating his father, the attackers had said, "You cannot report on us, you cannot take our photos."

The journalist faces dozens of trials for criticising local authorities in Gerger for their performance and actions; he stands accused of "insults".

Furthermore, he spent 109 days in prison after accusing a prosecutor of close contacts to the religious Fethullah Gülen movement. (EÖ/AG)