Detained Publisher Adanır Faces 50 Years' Prison Sentence
The prosecutor of the 6th High Criminal Court of Diyarbakır (south-eastern Turkey), Adem Özcan, demands prison sentence of up to 50 years for Bedri Adanır, owner of Aram Publishing and editorial manager of the Kurdish Hawar newspaper. Adanır stands accused of "membership of the PKK", the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, and "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization".
Adanır published a book of Abdullah Öcalan's defences speeches, imprisoned leader of the PKK, made at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The book was audited and approved by the Bursa Execution Justiceship, yet it was not given a revenue stamp by the Ministry of Culture but was forbidden.
Adanır was arrested on 5 January when he entered Turkey from Iraq at the Habur check point in Silopi in the province of Şırnak (south-eastern Anatolia). Since then, Adanır has been detained in the Diyarbakır D Type Prison.
Prosecutor demanded imprisonment of 50 years
In the hearing on 6 May, the prosecutor stated that 38 books were confiscated in a raid on the publishing house on 14 September 2008 which were either banned or decided to be seized. The hard disks of the computer contained praise of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and other members of the organization. Word documents with notes of interviews with families of killed PKK members were found as well as personal information related to PKK members, the prosecutor said. From these findings the prosecutor deduced a one count charge of "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization".
The prosecutor furthermore claimed a four count charge of "propaganda for an illegal organization" based on the following articles and contents: the articles entitled "They are not treating patients with chronic diseases" and "Commemoration of martyrs on Bezign Mountain" published on 18 May 2009; the articles "Negotiations blocked", "Civilian Ferho wishes fellow Kandil a good day" and "Memorial" published on 21 May 2009; "The Tamils' homeland and Kurdistan", "Roads to Lice village are closed" and "Memorial" from 22 May 2009, the following part from an article published on 25 May 2009: "One section carries out the operations. CHP [Republican Peoples' Party] and MHP [National Movement Party] are the civil wings of Ergenekon. A solution must be based on article 21 of the Constitution. There is no consensus in the army. I am calling the Prime Minister. Everybody should be prepared, I will explain this in the end of August" and the article entitled "The balance-sheet for these 40 days is very grave. Military attacks during the ceasefire".
At the same time, Adanır faces a two-fold charge of "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization" on the grounds of the book "Radical democracy and Nationalism sick with urbanism", which was included for free with the magazines issue in November 2009. In the book, the PKK was described as the "Kurdish Freedom Movement" and as a legitimate organization. Moreover, the latter charges are based on the book "Capitalist Civilization" written by Öcalan and published by Aram Publishing. The book depicts the PKK as an organization which continually improved itself and served the ideal of a free life.
Defence on 8 July
The prosecutor demanded a seven count sentence for Adanır according to article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMY) and punishment under allegations of "committing a crime on behalf of a terrorist organization without being a member of the organization" based on articles 314/3 and 220/6 of the Turkish Criminal Code plus article 5 of the TMY related to an increase of the penalty. In summary, Adanır faces prison sentences of up to 50 years.
Adanır said that he did not agree with the prosecutor's final submission. His lawyer Muharrem Şahin requested additional time in order to prepare his client's defence. The court dismissed the request for Adanır's release. President Judge Menderes Yılmaz allowed time until 8 July to prepare the defence. (EÖ/VK)