Standing trial for covering a protest march, journalist Ruşen Takva acquitted

* Photo: MLSA

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Journalist Ruşen Takva was standing trial for following up the "Kurdish People's Freedom and National Unity" press statement organized with the participation of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) executives in Turkey's Kurdish-majority eastern province of Van and the protest march held afterwards on January 8, 2021.

At his second hearing at the Van 2nd Heavy Penal Court today (October 12), the journalist was acquitted of the offenses charged.

• Imposed by Governor's Office of Van on November 21, 2016, the ban on meetings and demonstrations in Van has been in force for 1,786 days without interruption as of October 12, 2021.

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Takva was facing the charges of "membership of a [terrorist/ illegal] organization" and "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations." Pronouncing its final opinion as to the accusations today, the prosecutor's office demanded the acquittal of journalist Ruşen Takva.

The prosecutor's office indicated that Takva was at the protest demonstration as a journalist and noted that there was no sufficient evidence to prove that the charged offenses had been committed.

Following the pronouncement of the final opinion, Takva took the floor and said that he agreed with the prosecutor's opinion. He noted that the current file could not be a subject matter of a court case.

Speaking after Takva, his lawyer Mahmut Kaçan reiterated that "his client followed up the protest march as a journalist." Underlining that Takva "had no role in organizing the march," the lawyer said, "We expect a ruling of acquittal as the elements of the crime were not constituted."

Takva's lawyer Burcu Şeber also took the floor afterwards and defined the indictment as "far-fetched." "When we leave out the identification, there remain two pages," she said and demanded Takva's acquittal.

Speaking afterwards, Takva said, "The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) exercised its democratic right. I, as a journalist, followed up this march. There was no crime. If I had been there not as a journalist but as a protestor, it would have still not constituted a crime."

Following the defense statements, the court board recessed the hearing. Handing down its ruling after the recess, the court board has ruled that journalist Ruşen Takva shall be acquitted of both defenses charged on the grounds that "the legal elements of the crime were not constituted."

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What happened?

In Turkey's Kurdish-majority eastern province of Van, a press statement with an emphasis on "Kurdish national unity" was held under the leadership of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) on January 8, 2021. Following the press statement at the Feqiye Teyran Park, the group marched to the HDP İpekyolu District Office.

After the protest march was held, an investigation was launched against the participants. Journalist Ruşen Takva was also summoned to give his statement as a suspect two days later, on January 10, which is marked as the Working Journalists Day in Turkey.

Going to the Security Department of the Van Security Directorate to depose, Takva was asked why he followed up the march.

In his statement at the security directorate, Takva said that he covered the march as it was required by his profession and did not accept the offenses charged. But the investigation ended in a court case.

Takva was indicted over his coverage of the march and faced 9 years to 18 years in prison on the grounds that he was allegedly "the organizer and leader of the march" and "the unlawful meeting and demonstration continued despite the warnings.

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(HA/SD)