July 3, 2024
Hayri Demir
In a landmark verdict, eight journalists from the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) and JinNews were sentenced to six years and three months in prison each for "membership in a terrorist organization." The trial, which saw 11 journalists on trial, resulted in the acquittal of three.
The final hearing, held at the Ankara 4th High Criminal Court, involved MA Managing Editor Diren Yurtsever, former Ankara News Chief Deniz Nazlım, MA reporters Berivan Altan, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Emrullah Acar, Zemo Ağgöz, and Ceylan Şahinli, along with JinNews reporters Habibe Eren and Öznur Değer, and former MA intern Mehmet Günhan.
While the journalists did not attend the session, a significant number of lawyers were present. The prosecution reiterated its stance, advocating for the journalists' punishment.
Defense arguments
Attorney Resul Temur argued that the investigation was dubious from the start, relying solely on the testimony of a secret witness, which he deemed slanderous. Temur emphasized that the prosecution only considered 60 articles out of over 100,000 published by Mezopotamya Agency, claiming this was insufficient for a conviction.
Selman Güzelyüz’s lawyer, Şevin Kaya, noted that Güzelyüz’s participation in a picnic, where he danced, was used as evidence against him. Kaya questioned the grounds for penalizing journalists, stating that the way they report news cannot be dictated by authorities.
Berivan Altan’s lawyer, Hülya Yıldırım, highlighted that Altan had previously been tried in Mersin for the same evidence, arguing that the current trial was redundant.
Ebru Akkal, representing Habibe Eren, pointed out the lack of concrete evidence against Eren, who works at JinNews, a legally established and unique news outlet staffed entirely by women.
Çiğdem Kozan, defending Öznur Değer, noted a factual error in the prosecution's statement, which wrongly identified Değer as an MA reporter instead of a JinNews journalist, undermining the credibility of the charges.
Sipan Cizreli, representing Deniz Nazlım, criticized the prosecution for failing to provide specific evidence of wrongdoing, asserting that the charges were an attempt to criminalize journalistic activities.
Attorney Özgür Erol reminded the court of the statement by open witness Özgür Baran, who admitted not knowing any of the journalists and later retracted his testimony, noting his personal vendetta against the agency.
Verdict
After a 40-minute recess for deliberation, the court sentenced Diren Yurtsever, Deniz Nazlım, Berivan Altan, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Emrullah Acar, Zemo Ağgöz, and Öznur Değer to six years and three months in prison for "membership in a terrorist organization." Journalists Habibe Eren, Mehmet Günhan, and Ceylan Şahinli were acquitted.
