Rojda: Imprisonment for Performing Kurdish Song
A court in Diyarbakır in the predominantly south-eastern region of Turkey handed down a prison sentence of one year and eight months to the Kurdish artist Rojda. Reason for the singer's conviction is the song entitled "Heval Kamuran" ('Comrade Kamuran') Rojda performed at a festival in Diyarbakır in 2009. She was charged with "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization".
Rojda is one of 160 artists who were invited to a meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on 20 February to discuss the Kurdish question. However, she had previously announced not to attend the meeting.
Prosecutor: "Posters of Öcalan were shown while Rojda was singing"
The Diyarbakır Public Chief Prosecutor's Office launched a trial with Rojda under allegations of "propaganda for an illegal organization" because of the song performed by the singer at the "Culture and Arts Festival" in Diyarbakır from 27-30 May 2009.
Rojda had been arrested on 11 February in order to take her statement. The Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court decided her case on 25 March.
Rojda did not attend the hearing. The prosecutor said in his final submission, "Rojda performed the song 'Heval Kamuran' in two different concerts at last year's Diyarbakır Culture and Arts Festival. During the performances, some people in the audience displayed banners of the PPK [militant Kurdistan Workers' Party] and Abdullah Öcalan [imprisoned leader of the PKK] and shouted slogans".
The prosecutor quoted both the Kurdish and the Turkish lyrics of the song and demanded a twofold five-year prison sentence under article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Act on "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization".
The court accepted the charges of "propaganda for a terrorist organization" and decreed for imprisonment of two years. The sentence was mitigated to one year and eight months due to "good conduct" of the defendant. (BÇ/VK)