Publisher Zarakolu Sentenced Under 301

The court sentenced Ragıp Zarakolu, the owner of Belge Publishing, who has been on trial for “denigrating the State and the Republic” and “insulting Atatürk’s memory” for publishing George Jerjian’s book titled “Gerçek Bizi Özgür Kılacak” (History Will Set Us Free) under article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The Istanbul 2^nd Court of First Instance did not even see the need to ask for permission of the Justice Minister as directed by the recent revision in article 301, since the lawsuit was filed under article 159 of the old Penal Code.

Zarakolu: As a principal, I am against paying fines

The court acquitted Zarakolu for the charge of insulting Atatürk. He would have been sentenced to 7,5 years, had he been found guilty.

Considering his good behavior, the court first reduced his denigration sentence from six months to five months and then converted it to a fine.

Zarakolu told Bianet that they were planning to appeal the decision, adding that as a principle, he was against paying fines.

A group of people, including the president of the Committee of the Prisoned Writers of the Turkish branch of the International Publishers Association (PEN), Halil İbrahim Özcan, was there to support him. (EÖ/EZÖ/TB)