Özgür Gündem Editor-On-Watch Eryılmaz Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

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İstanbul 22nd Heavy Criminal Court in Çağlayan Courthouse passed the verdict in the final hearing of journalist Tuğrul Eryılmaz, one of the editors of the Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign of the now-closed Özgür Gündem today (October 20).

Eryılmaz has been sentenced to 1 year and three months in prison as well as to pay a fine in amount of 6,000 TL (1,385 Euros) on the charge of "publishing and spreading statements of terrorist organizations" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization".

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey - Press Union (DİSK Basın-İş) President Faruk Eren, Barış (Peace) Foundation executive Hakan Tahmaz, as well as journalists Nadire Mater, Haluk Ağabeyoğlu, Mehveş Evin and linguist and writer Necmiye Alpay attended the hearing as well.

Zeki Kayar, one of the defendants in the trial who is behind bars in Bandırma Prison joined the hearing via Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS) and made his statement of defence in Kurdish. 

Following Kaynar, Eryılmaz and attorneys Özcan Kılıç and Meriç Eyüboğlu presented the statment of defends. 

The final hearing of journalist Tuğrul Eryılmaz, one of the editors of the Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign of the now-closed Özgür Gündem was held today (October 20).

Eryılmaz has stood trial for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" in seven reports and articles of his published in Özgür Gündem's June 1 issue.

The previous hearing of Eryılmaz's trial was held before İstanbul 22nd Heavy Criminal Court in Çağlayan Courthouse on September 12, 2017.

Relying on the Articles 7(2) and 6(2) of the Anti-Terror Law No. 3713, Prosecutor Uygur Kaan Arısoy had demanded in the previous hearing, that journalist Eryılmaz, be convicted for "publishing and spreading statements of terrorist organizations" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization".

CLICK - Trials of Özgür Gündem Editors-in-Chief on Watch

About Tuğrul Eryılmaz

He was the editor-in-chief of Radikal İki since it was founded in 1996. He graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Political Science in 1969 and continued his education in England for some time. After doing his master's degree in political science, he started working as a journalist in Turkey's national public broadcaster TRT's News Center. He lectured on communication in Ankara University Press and Broadcasting School and left his position at the university in 1981.

In İstanbul, he worked in Nokta, Yeni Gündem, Tempo and Sokak magazines as well as Cumhuriyet and Yeni Asır newspapers.
He gave lectures on journalism in the communication faculties of Ankara, Bahçeşehir, Bilgi, İzmir Economy and Kadir Has Universities.

He was a host on various TV programmes about cinema and he has been a consultant for movie and TV series. He is a founding member of the IPS Communication Foundation and Executive Board. He is a Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithfull fan. (TP/DG)