27 Jun 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
A court in Turkey has sentenced a man with speech and hearing impairments to eight years in prison for spreading propaganda on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Mehmet Tahir Ilhan was sentenced after attending a demonstration in in April 2011. Following his involvement in the protest, Ihlan was also charged with “committing a crime on behalf of a terrorist organisation,” “resisting security forces” and “contravening the Law of Assembly and Demonstration”. Ilhan claimed he was not one of the protesters who threw stones and Molotov cocktails during the rally.
11 Apr 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Eminent Turkish free expression champion Ragip Zarakolu was freed from prison in Turkey pending trial along with 14 others yesterday. Zarakolu, director of the Belge Publishing House, which has published works on taboo subjects such as the Armenian genocide and minority rights in Turkey, was arrested last October as part of a crackdown on those accused of supporting the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK). He was indicted on 19 March under Turkish anti-terrorism laws for “aiding and abetting an illegal organisation,” a charge that could carry a 15-year sentence.
4 Apr 2012 | Index Index, minipost
A Turkish politician has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after delivering speeches in the run up to elections in June 2011. Serafettin Halis, former Deputy of the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) was convicted of being part of an illegal organisation, and creating propaganda for an illegal organisation following seven speeches he delivered during the run up the the elections. Halis told local press that he is being prosecuted for speaking to his constituents, as the speeches were made in his capacity as an elected official.
21 Feb 2012 | Europe and Central Asia, Index Index, minipost
The Paris and Cologne offices of a Turkish newspaper were attacked by supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) last week. Zaman newspaper says that a group of nearly 15 masked PKK supporters entered its Paris office on 15 February, threatening employees and breaking furniture and computers. Meanwhile AFP has reported that arsonists torched the paper’s Cologne headquarters on the evening of the same day. The EU, USA and Turkey all classify the PKK as a terrorist organisation.
