Deniz Tekin
A High Criminal Court in southeastern Turkey has sentenced newspaper distributor Zilan Gül to 2 years and 1 month in prison for distributing Yeni Yaşam, a pro-Kurdish daily that was under a sales and distribution ban at the time.
The verdict was handed down by the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court, where Gül was on trial on charges of "terrorist organization propaganda." Gül did not attend the hearing, but her attorney Resul Tamur was present. In its final opinion, the prosecution called for Gül’s conviction.
In his defense statement, Tamur argued that newspaper distributors cannot be held liable under Article 11 of Turkey’s Press Law and that Article 25 of the same law clearly defines who holds responsibility. He further stated that there was no valid ban on the newspaper on the date it was distributed, and therefore requested Gül’s acquittal.
Nevertheless, the court ruled that Gül had distributed banned material and sentenced her to 2 years and 1 month in prison. Speaking after the hearing, Tamur said they would appeal the verdict.
Background
Gül was stopped by a police officer on Dec. 19, 2024, while distributing copies of Yeni Yaşam in Diyarbakır, a predominantly Kurdish city in southeastern Turkey. Police confiscated the newspapers and took Gül to a police station for questioning before releasing her.
According to the indictment, the issue of Yeni Yaşam she was distributing—featuring the headline “DAESH failed, is it now the owner’s turn?”—was claimed to contain propaganda for a terrorist organization. A subsequent ruling by the Diyarbakır 5th Criminal Judgeship of Peace imposed a ban on the publication’s printing, distribution, and sale.
During the first hearing on April 15, 2025, Gül stated in her defense that she had not known the newspaper was under a ban and argued that delivering newspapers should not be considered a crime. She requested acquittal.
