Journalist Hayri Demir's trial continues after appeal court ruling and case merger
The fifth hearing in the retrial of journalist Hayri Demir, who is accused of "membership in a terrorist organization" and "making terrorist propaganda" due to his journalistic activities in Syria, took place at Ankara 15th High Criminal Court. The trial follows an appeal court's decision to overturn a previous ruling and merge it with another investigation. Demir and his lawyer, Nuray Özdoğan, were present in court.
‘My professional activities are being prosecuted’
In his defense, Demir emphasized that his journalistic work is being criminalized. He highlighted that he has been using the same phone number for 20 years, attending every hearing for eight years, and working for various media outlets. "Despite previous acquittals, these charges are being reintroduced to make the case seem more serious," he said.
‘They’ve even attributed a book I didn’t write to me’
Demir pointed out a major inaccuracy in the case, noting that the indictment claims he authored Dağlardan İnmek (Coming Down from the Mountains), a book actually written by Indonesian writer Paul White. He also criticized the misinterpretation of one of his social media posts, which contained a common Kurdish phrase, but was falsely translated as propaganda. "This phrase was actually part of graffiti in Diyarbakır and has nothing to do with propaganda," Demir explained.
‘It feels like someone is deliberately targeting Hayri Demir’
Demir’s lawyer, Nuray Özdoğan, challenged the legitimacy of the case, arguing that both the secret witness statements and the evidence were inconsistent and legally flawed. She also pointed to the inclusion of a financial report from Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), arguing that it had no relevance to the case. "How can the payments Demir received for his journalism be considered criminal? If he hadn’t been paid, that would raise questions. This case feels like someone is deliberately targeting him, and it's a clear example of harassment against press and freedom of expression," Özdoğan said.
The court postponed the hearing to November 20, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. for the preparation of the final opinion and defense statements.
