Journalist Vedat Kursun in Prison until 15 April

The Diyarbakir Public Prosecutor has demanded the imprisonment of Vedat Kursun, licence holder and editor of the Kurdish Azadiya Welat newspaper for “spreading PKK propaganda.”

In his deliberations at the Diyarbakir 6th Heavy Penal Court on Tuesday (25 March), prosecutor Tuncer Cetin accused the journalist of “committing a crime in the name of a criminal organisation without being a member of the organisation.”

Punishment under three articles demanded 

Kursun has been in police custody since 5 February, and he attended the hearing with five lawyers. The prosecutor has demanded punishment under Articles 220/6, 314/2 of the Penal Code, as well as Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terrorism Law.

The prosecutor has argued that the thirteen issues from 12 September 2006 to 12 August 2007 all contained PKK propaganda. As evidence he pointed out that imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan was described as “the leader of the Kurdish people,” “the leader of the KCK,” “Honourable Öcalan,” and “Leader Apo,” and that members of the HPG, associated with the PKK, were described as “HPG guerillas.”

Release not granted 

The defense lawyers have asked for time to prepare their defense, and the next hearing is on 15 April. The court had refused to release Kursun at the previous hearing on 4 March, and did so again on Tuesday. The defense lawyers again objected, saying that Kursun had come to court to defend himself.

When the court decided to take Kursun into custody on 5 February, one judge, Selahaddin Menes, had opposed the decision.  (EÖ/GG/AG)