Trial begins for Turkish journalists accused of terror group involvement

Trial begins for Turkish journalists accused of terror group involvement

2011-11-23 07:24:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISTANBUL (BNO NEWS) -- More than a dozen journalists who are accused of being involved in a plot to overthrow the Turkish government went on trial on Tuesday, the Hurriyet newspaper reported.

The first hearing for the 13 suspects, which include investigative journalists Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener, was held in a specially authorized court in Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Sik faces up to 15 years imprisonment for allegedly assisting a terrorist organization.

Turkish prosecutors allege that Sik's manuscript, "The Imam's Army", is a book draft which was prepared with the help of other suspects as instructions and guidelines for the Kemalist ultra-nationalist Ergenekon group, which has been labeled a terrorist organization by Turkey. 'The Imam's Army' was co-authored and edited by 125 journalists who volunteered their labor in an attempt to publish Sik's banned book.

The manuscript and other digital copies of the book were seized by authorities in March as an 'illegal organization document' and used as evidence for the trial. Ergenekon is an alleged ultra-nationalist group which has been accused of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government by fomenting chaos in society.

The criminal case was initiated in February after police searched the offices of Oda TV, an online news portal known for its fierce criticism of government policies. Many Turks regard the case as a test of media freedom in the country, and several media rights groups attended Tuesday's opening hearing.

In March, the United Nations human rights arm OHCHR voiced serious concerns about the imprisonment of Sik and the other journalists. "The investigation is subject to a secrecy order, so the full details of the alleged evidence justifying the investigation and detention of the journalists is not publicly available," said OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville.

And in September, more than 500 members from Turkey's main opposition party the Republican People's Party (CHP) marched in Istanbul to criticize the government's detention of the journalists and demand their immediate release.

Turkey currently ranks 138 on the Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, which said the situation for journalists in Turkey is a cause for concern. The rights group said Turkish journalists are increasingly the target of lawsuits, incarcerations and court sentences.

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