Prosecutor demands prison sentence for journalists Coşkun, Uğur and Açar

* Photo: Erol Önderoğlu / Twitter

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The prosecutor has demanded prison sentence for journalists Canan Coşkun, Ali Açar and Can Uğur, who are standing trial over their news regarding the investigation into the killing of Berkin Elvan during Gezi in 2013 and charged with "turning a counterterrorism official into a target."

Pronouncing the opinion as to the accusations in the fifth hearing at the İstanbul 34th High Criminal Court, the prosecutor of the hearing has demanded that the journalists be sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Giving time to the journalists to make defense as to the accusations, the court board has ruled that the next hearing shall be held on October 7.

CLICK - Lawsuit Against 3 Journalists Over News Report

What happened?

On June 16, 2013, Berkin Elvan was hospitalized due to grave head injuries after the police intervention in the district of Okmeydanı in İstanbul. When he was admitted to the Okmeydanı Research Hospital, his heart had reportedly stopped already.

Suffering from a brain hemorrhage, Elvan went through at least five surgeries. On January 5, 2014, Elvan turned 15 in his coma. He died on March 11, 269 days after being shot.

The prosecutor investigating the incident changed six times. It was determined thanks to the camera footage that two suspect police officers had been seen and one of them caused the death of Elvan. The investigation was concluded on December 7, 2016.

On the grounds of their news about the investigation, a lawsuit was filed against journalists Canan Caşkun, Ali Açar and Can Uğur on charge of "turning a counterterrorism official into a target" as per the Article 6 of the Anti-Terror Law. The news in dispute was published by Cumhuriyet newspaper with the title "Police Officer Allegedly Shot Berkin Elvan Didn't Remember His Place of Duty" and by BirGün newspaper with the title "The Reason for Confidentiality Order on Berkin Investigation: Lest His Reputation Be Damaged".

While the lawsuit was filed three years after the incident, on December 5, 2019, the indictment alleged that the name of one of the police officers mentioned in the Berkin Elvan investigation file was revealed and the related officer was pointed as a target for the left organizations threatening the officer.

Journalists face 1 to 3 years in prison.

(HA/SD)