MLSA - An appeal made against a 1-year 3-month prison sentence handed down to journalist Neşe İdil for alleged "terrorist propaganda" in her tweets regarding the Kurdish town of Kobane was rejected. The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) Legal Unit, which represents İdil, has announced plans to take the case to the Constitutional Court.
İdil faced charges over some of her social media posts dating back to 2015, which were interpreted as propagating for a terrorist organization. During the second hearing of the trial, the court sentenced the journalist to 1 year and 3 months in prison. The reasoning for the decision pointed out that İdil did not defend herself by stating that "at the time of the posts, there was no judicial decision declaring the YPG/YPJ as an organization."
The Kobane tweets in question relate to the Syrian town of Kobane, which was a significant battleground in the fight against ISIS and involved the Kurdish YPG/YPJ forces. The MLSA's involvement highlights ongoing concerns about freedom of expression and press in Turkey. This development comes amid increased scrutiny of Turkey's judicial system and its treatment of journalists and media workers.
The Constitutional Court, the highest court in Turkey, will now review the case, potentially setting a precedent for future cases involving freedom of speech and expression in Turkey.
