The new Turkey Fadıl Öztürk. Contributor to the news website Artı Gerçek,
24-Jan-2019 14:01
2 October 2018: An Izmir Court on 2 October handed Fadıl Öztürk, a columnist for the online newspaper Artı Gerçek a suspended sentenced of 13 months in prison for "making propaganda for a [terrorist] organization," his employer reported. The journalist will not be jailed if he does not repeat the offense for five years. Öztürk was taken into custody in Izmir in January and later released under judicial control, CPJ documented.
Fadıl Öztürk, a poet and a contributor to the news website Artı Gerçek, appeared in an Izmir court on July 3 for the first hearing of a trial in which he is accused of “conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization” via his social media posts and his articles.
Addressing the 2nd High Criminal Court of Izmir during the trial, Öztürk denied the accusation, while his lawyer, Aysun Akşehirlioğlu, requested for the judicial control measures and the overseas travel ban imposed on Öztürk to be lifted.
Following the defense statements, the prosecutor submitted his final opinion, in which he requested that Öztürk is convicted of “propaganda.”
Öztürk’s lawyer requested for additional time to prepare a defense statement in response to the prosecutor’s final opinion. Issuing an interim ruling, the court ruled for the continuation of the judicial control measures imposed on Öztürk and adjourned the trial until October 2, 2018, for the defense statement to be prepared.
Öztürk was taken into custody on January 5 in Izmir based on an arrest and search warrant on grounds that he “conducted propaganda for a terrorist group in his articles.” He was released from custody four days later, on January 9, under judicial control measures.