Nine local newspapers which published a news item by the Ihlas News Agency (IHA)concerning the murders at the Zirve Publishing House in Malatya in April 2007, have been ordered to pay a fine of 2,000 YTL (around 1,176 Euros) each.

"Influencing judiciary" 

The newspapers had published a letter containing information about the murder. The letter, which the newspapers received from IHA, was published three days later because a weekend intervened.

The Görüs, Son Söz, Yeni Malatya, Hakimiyet, Hamle, Gercek, YeniGün and Net Haber newspapers, as well as another unknown newspaper, were ordered to pay the fines by the Malatya Chief Public Prosecution on 7 January. They are accused of having violated Article 19 of the Press Law, i.e. "influencing the judiciary."

The nine newspapers have announced that they will not pay the fine and will collaborate in order to object against the punishment. They also pointed out that due to their low circulation numbers, none of which is higher than 4,000, it was impossible for the newspapers to influence the judiciary.

Similar prosecution in Kartal, Istanbul 

Last month the Kartal Chief Public Prosecution in Istanbul initiated an investigation into nine journalists in Istanbul and Ankara, who had reported that, before the murders, the murder suspects had called a phone registered in the name of Kartal prosecutor Refik Hakan Basverdi. The journalists are now accused of violating the personal rights of Basverdi.

The journalists concerned are Erkan Acar and Sedat Günec of the "Zaman" newspaper, Kemal Göktas from the "Vatan", Gökcer Tahincioglu from the "Milliyet", Oya Armutcu, Asli Sözbilir and Ali Daglar from the "Hürriyet", Ersin Bal from the "Aksam", and Hilal Köse from the "Cumhuriyet". (EÖ/TK/AG)