PEN SUPPORTS TRIED JOURNALIST SENER
BIA Net
Feb 18 2010
Turkey
In the case against journalist Sener based on his book about the
Hrant Dink murder, the court now wants to ascertain whether Sener
published "classified documents". Sener: "No journalist applies to
court before obtaining a confidential document".
18 February 2010, Thursday The Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court tries
Milliyet newspaper journalist Nedim Sener on the grounds of his book
"The Dink Murder and the Intelligence Lies", in which he criticizes
the Turkish gendarmerie, police and secret service in respect to
the killing of Trukish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Sener stands
accused for "publishing a classified document".
In yesterday’s hearing (17 February), the 11th court inquired
information from the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court where the Hrant
Dink murder case is heard whether the "classified" document was read
during one of the hearings.
Sener is facing a total prison sentence of 32.5 years in three
different cases concerning his book about the Dink murder. "I
particularly wrote this book upon the motion of the inspection reports
related to the neglect of public officials like Ramazan Akyurek towards
religious murder. Which journalist asks for permission from court to
obtain a classified document?" the journalist argued.
Support from PEN and defendant GöktaÅ~_ Yesterday’s hearing was
attended by PEN Writers Union Secretary General Eugene Schoulgin,
brother of assassinated Hrant Dink Orhan Dink, human rights activist
Ozlem Dalkıran and defendand Kemal GöktaÅ~_ to express their support
for Sener. GöktaÅ~_ appeared at court the previous day for his
own hearing in the context of the very same charges of publishing a
"confidential document".
Sener stands trial under charges of exposing public officials
struggling against terror as targets for terror organizations and of
publishing a confidential document. The case is to be continued on
28 April.
"Murder case and cases of journalists progress with different speed"
Schoulgin commeted, "These trials cannot be perceived as separate
cases. This is a demonstration of power against journalists. In the
rest of Europe it is not a crime to write about this kind of cases.
The different speed between the progression of the murder case and
the cases of the journalists is most disturbing".
"The judges should urgently be trained accordingly if they are so
sensitive about the writings of the journalists".
The complaint about journalist Å~^ener was filed by Head of
Intelligence Office Ramazan Akyurek, Intelligence Office Directorate
police civil servant Muhittin Zenit, Trabzon Intelligence Branch
Manager Fatih Sarı and Istanbul Police Directorate Deputy Chief Ali
Fuat Yılmazer.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
