Kurdish journalist Kadri Esen given prison sentence for 'terror propaganda'

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Kadri Esen, the grant holder of Xwebûn, a weekly Kurdish newspaper, has been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison for "propagandizing for a terrorist organzation."

The lawsuit was filed because of a video he shared on social media in 2018. The video included a member of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), a Kurdish armed group in Syria deemed as a "terrorist organization" by Türkiye.

Esen and his attorney Resul Temur were present at the Diyarbakır 10th Heavy Penal Court.

Making his defense in Kurdish, Esen said he has been working as a journalist for years, and shares news content on his social media accounts from time to time.

He said he does not share post for propaganda purposes, and doesn't remember the content of the video in question.

He said he would not accept the deferral of the verdict.

"A fake report"

Lawyer Temur said his client was detained after a report to the police during the 2022 Newroz celebrations, and it was a "fake report" made by the police.

There was no relation between Esen's detention and the criminal case against him, he added.

During his detention, Esen's social media accounts were reviewed and an investigation was opened into the said post, which was a "legally crippled" practice, the lawyer asserted.

He noted that the Constitutional Court had annulled the police's "virtual patrol" authority, therefore the investigation opened after the examination of the journalist's social media accounts was not in compliance with the top court ruling.

Also, he alleged, police violated Esen's privacy by examining his account without an investigation.

Handing down its judgment, the court sentenced Esen to 1 year and 6 months in prison for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization," and deferred the announcement of the verdict.

Esen will appeal the decision. (HA/VK)