Prosecutor demands up to 22.5 years in prison for journalist Yalçın
Click to read the article in Turkish
Charged with "being a member of the organization" and "propagandizing for the organization", journalist Nurcan Yalçın had her fifth hearing at the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court yesterday (September 29).
Exempted from attending the hearings, journalist Yalçın did not appear before the judge while her lawyer Resul Temur attended the hearing.
As reported by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the Diyarbakır Counterterrorism Department presented an information notice to the court about JinNews news agency and claimed that the agency is making news praising and supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).
The prosecutor pronounced the opinion as to the accusations afterwards. The prosecutor alleged that sufficient and credible evidence was collected to suggest that journalist Yalçın, as part of the Rosa Women's Association's activities, joined the organizational actions, handed over her will to the organization's will and acted within the hierarchy of the organization.
Referring to a picture shared by Yalçın on her social media account, which is open for everyone, the prosecutor's opinion further claimed that the journalist "successively propagandized for the organization" in such a way to legitimize the purpose and methods of the organization.
Accordingly, the prosecutor demanded that journalist Nurcan Yalçın be sentenced to up to 22.5 years in prison for "being a member of the organization" and "successively propagandizing for the organization."
Temur: Police defined journalism in their own way
Yalçın's lawyer Resul Temur took the floor afterwards and said that they did not agree with the prosecutor's opinion as to the accusations, demanding additional time to make defense. Protesting the information notice of the Diyarbakır Security Directorate regarding JinNews news, Temur noted that the police defined the agency's news and journalism in their own way and these comments and definitions do not reflect the truth.
Underlining that JinNews is a media outlet legally engaging in journalistic activities, Temur submitted its tax board to the court board as evidence. Recalling that Nurcan Yalçın was a reporter for Jin News Agency (JİNHA), not for JinNews, the lawyer added that they had presented the related documents and statements about this to the court.
Announcing its interim ruling without recess, the court board ruled that additional time should be given for the preparation of the defense as to the accusations and adjourned the hearing until November 22.
The Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ) platform has released a statement after the hearing and denounced the prosecutor's opinion. Demanding Yalçın's acquittal of the offenses charged immediately, the CFWIJ has underlined that "journalism is not a crime." (HA/SD)