Journalist Sabiha Temizkan handed prison sentence over 2014 tweet

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Journalist Sabiha Temizkan has been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" over a Twitter post in 2014.

"Makhmur camp has been captured by ISIS..." she had said in the tweet.

Temizkan and her lawyer, Veysel Ok, attended the fourth hearing at İstanbul 35th Heavy Penal Court.

"I shared news but forgot to give a link. Even if I didn't give a link, it's clear that the post is a news title. It is necessary to look at that period; it was a period where ISIS had intense attacks," Temizkan said in her defense statement.

Saying that she would share the news on Twitter at the time, she noted, "I don't see any element of a crime. There is only one sentence and it's between quotation marks. So, I don't think I committed a crime with such a post. I demand my acquittal."

Article 7/2 of the Law on Fight Against Terrorism: Any person making propaganda for a terrorist organisation shall be punished with imprisonment from one to five years. If this crime is committed through means of mass media, the penalty shall be aggravated by one half.

Attorney Ok said that the prosecutor's opinion was against the law and there was nothing in the tweet that legitimized the organization.

Citing ECtHR decisions at news titles from 2014, Ok said that the post on its own could not be considered as propaganda. "Even if the post disturbed many people, it should be considered within the scope of freedom of expression."

"I think everyone agrees that the news report is a press activity. My client didn't even comment on the post," Ok said and demanded the acquittal of Temizkan.

Announcing its verdict after a break, the court sentenced Temizkan to 1 year and 3 months in prison for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

As Temizkan stated in the previous hearings that she would not accept a deferral of the sentence, it did not defer the announcement of the decision. It also stated that Temizkan did not demonstrate repentance and there was no conviction that she wouldn't commit a crime again. (HA/VK)