Two Journalists Face 18 Years In Prison

Gerger Prosecutor of province of Adıyaman in the southeastern Turkey  asked for 13 years and 2 months for journalist Hacı Boğatekin, who had already served 109 days in the prison for voicing his opinion about Prosecutor Sadullah Ovacıklı’s possible close connections to Fethullah Gülen, a well-known Islamic community leader in Turkey.

Moreover, another journalist Cumali Badur is facing 4 years and 6 months in prison for publishing prosecutor Ovacıklı’s threat to Boğatekin for writing about the possibility of a connection between Gülen and him on the internet site gergerim.com. Prosecutor Ovacıklı had told Boğatekin “How can you call his highness Fethullah Gülen Hodja Feto (the usual shortened version of the name Fethullah). Apologize right away, otherwise I will burn you.”

The two journalists will defend themselves against the prosecutor 

The Criminal Court of First Instance gave both journalists until February 5, 2009 to prepare their defenses.

In addition to it, the head of the court, Ayşegül Şimşek, took back the decision to wait for the outcome of the investigation conducted by the Ministry of Justice regarding Prosecutor Ovacıklı on the grounds that it would not have any effect on the outcome of the case.

The outcome of the investigation regarding Ovacıklı will not be waited

However, contrary to Prosecutor Ali Çatal’s opinion, Boğatekin wants to wait for the outcome of the investigation, as it will show if the allegation voiced by him that Ovacıklı had his private internet site done by a person affiliated with the Muslim community of Nur Asya.

On July 30, the court had finally released Boğatekin after extending its stay in prison twice on the grounds that he could escape or go to hiding, there was strong suspicion of crime and could pressure the witnesses in the case filed by Ovacıklı with the testimonies of the six police officers. He is now facing another prison sentence. 

RSF: The case is related to the issue of the independent judiciary

The international organization of Journalists Without Borders (RSF) had demanded the release of Boğatekin while he was in the Kahta Prison in the province of Adıyaman. After watching the hearing on May 30, the RSF had stated that the case had brought up the issue of whether or not the judiciary was independent of the political power in Turkey.

18 months in prison

The journalist had been arrested for publishing about the prosecutor who had wanted to take his statement for his article titled “Feto and Apo” and for claiming that he had threatened him by telling him “How can you call his highness Fethullah Gülen Hodja Feto (short for Fethullah). Apologize right away, otherwise I will burn you.”

Following this, on June 25, the 3rd High Criminal Court of Malatya had sentenced him to 18 months in prison for “doing propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). (EÖ)