Deniz Tekin
Journalist Beritan Canözer was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison in a retrial on charges of "making terrorist propaganda."
The first hearing of Canözer’s retrial was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court in southeastern Turkey. While Canözer did not attend, her lawyer, Muharrem Erbey, was present.
Speaking first in the hearing, Erbey emphasized that his client has been a journalist for many years and argued that the accusations against her were based solely on news-related posts and shares on social media.
The prosecutor, in the final opinion, requested the court to revoke the previous decision to suspend the announcement of the verdict, citing that Canözer committed the same offense within the five-year probation period.
In his defense statement, Erbey argued that the alleged crime lacked material grounds, stating, “Journalism in this region is treated as a crime. Journalists are subjected to investigations, detentions, and even criminal charges for their reporting. Those who criticize the government or cover events in the region are particularly targeted. For this reason, we demand my client’s acquittal.”
The court, however, ruled to lift the previous suspension and sentenced Canözer to 1 year and 3 months in prison without deferral.
Following the verdict, Canözer’s lawyer stated that they would appeal the decision.
Background on the case
Beritan Canözer was first detained in 2016 in Diyarbakır while covering a protest. Police officers arrested her for being "too excited," and she remained in prison for nearly three months. Later, she was indicted on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" and "making terrorist propaganda" due to her social media posts and reports about the curfews and armed conflicts in Diyarbakır’s Sur district.
The Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court acquitted Canözer of these charges. However, the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice overturned the acquittal regarding the "terrorist propaganda" charge. In 2018, the court sentenced her to 1 year and 3 months in prison but deferred the announcement of the verdict (HAGB), meaning the sentence would not be executed if she did not commit another offense within five years.
In a separate trial at the Diyarbakır 11th High Criminal Court, Canözer was sentenced to 1 year, 10 months, and 15 days in prison for "making terrorist propaganda" due to her social media activity. When Turkey’s Court of Cassation upheld this ruling, the Diyarbakır 11th High Criminal Court informed the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court, which had previously suspended the sentence.
Following this notification, the court determined that Canözer had committed an offense during the probation period and ruled to revoke the suspension, leading to the latest trial and sentencing.
