CPJ CONCERNED FOR PERSECUTION OF COLUMNISTS

BÝA, Turkey
June 8 2006

New York – “We are concerned by the ongoing criminal prosecution of
journalists in Turkey” says the Committee to Protect Journalists
New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to
safeguard press freedom worldwide.

CPJ’s concern is the three journalists appearing before the courts
in Istanbul this week for their work.

Magden

Perihan Magden, a columnist for the weekly magazine Yeni Aktuel, went
on trial on Wednesday charged with discouraging Turks from performing
military service by defending conscientious objectors.

In a December article, Magden took up the case of Mehmet Tarhan, who
received a record four-year sentence in military jail for refusing
to wear his military uniform, The Associated Press reported. Magden
called for the establishment of civilian service as an alternative
to military conscription. She faces up to three years in jail if
convicted under article 318 of the Turkish penal code. Magden’s trial
was adjourned until July 27.

Belge and Saymaz

The trial of journalist Murat Belge of the daily Radikal resumes
Thursday. He is charged with attempting to influence the outcome of
judicial proceedings through his writing. He wrote an article last
year challenging the decision of an Istanbul administrative court to
ban an academic conference on the mass killing of Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1917. The Armenian massacre is still taboo
in Turkey. If convicted, Belge faces up to four and a half years in
prison under article 288 of the Turkish penal code. Charges against
four other journalists prosecuted along with Belge for writing about
the conference ban were dropped in April.

Another journalist for Radikal, Ismail Saymaz, will also appear in
criminal court tomorrow on charges under article 288, which stem
from an article alleging the torture of children by authorities,
according to the Turkish press freedom organization BIA.

Cooper: “Repeal the laws

“The existence of repressive laws in Turkey gives an opening to the
enemies of press freedom. We urge Turkish prosecutors to withdraw the
charges against these journalists, and refrain from filing future
charges,” CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. “We call on the
Turkish government to continue to work for the repeal of laws that
restrict work of the press.”

BIA says that since the new Turkish penal code went into effect on
June 1, 2005, 17 journalists who discussed human rights cases, the
Armenian conference ban case, and torture cases, have been charged
with attempting to influence court decisions under Article 288.

–Boundary_(ID_fYekFSwvJFznJgyOrhenpg)–