Magazine on Trial for Three Articles

Cagri Karadag, and Kemal Bozkurt, owner and editor of the magazine "Revolution is the Only Way Movement" respectively, are on trial for two articles entitled "The Kurds are my brothers and the people in E-type prisons are your children" and "1 September World Peace Day".

The articles were published in the 8th issue of the magazine in September and October 2004.

Forced attendance in court

Karadag and Bozkurt are being tried under the Article 7/2 (last paragraph) of the Law on Terrorism.

The 14th Heavy Penal Court in Istanbul decided at its last hearing on 31 April that defendant Bozkurt would be brought to the next hearing on 31 August by force.

"Encouraging violence and terrorism"

In the first article it said:

"As those resisting become isolated, attacks increase. Let us unite our forces in order to create an effective resistance against the brutal attacks on the Kurdish movement, the systematic attacks on the revolutionaries and the torture. Practices of unity that have to be more effective than previous attempts need to be created."

This quote has been said to encourage violence and terrorism methods.

In the second article, an extract has been accused of the same crime:

"This is the time to start resisting attacks in our own region. This is our revolutionary duty. 1 September 2004, World Peace Day, must be a beginning of the building of a line of resistance that involves supporting the Kurdish movement and opposing F-type prisons.

"No to YÖK"

The magazine is also on trial for another article, "No to YÖK". YÖK is the controversial Council of Higher Education in Turkey, which controls academic appointments and activities.

In the article, it said: "The fact that the students are exhibiting a central stand against the systematic attacks of the rulers will add to our power. It is time to touch water and soap [i.e. to take sides]. ... These efforts must be directed at revealing the anti-democratic practices of YÖK."

Propaganda is crime

The Law on Terrorism was changed on 29 June 2006. The amended law says, "A person spreading propaganda is punished with one to five years in prison. If this crime is committed using the press and media, the punishment is increased by half. In addition, owners and responsible publishers of press and media organs who did not participate in the crime are nevertheless punishable with legal fines of between 1,000 and 11,000 days. The limit for those responsible for broadcasting/publishing is 5,000 days." (EÖ/AG)