Medine Mamedoğlu
The 9th hearing of the retrial initiated against journalist Perihan Kaya on charges of “making propaganda for an organization” was held before the Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court. Attorney Resul Tamur was present at the hearing.
At the hearing, which began with the establishment of identity, no defense statement was made. The panel of judges submitted an opinion (prosecutorial opinion on the merits) requesting the punishment of journalist Perihan Kaya. Following the submission of the opinion, the hearing was adjourned to 7 January for the announcement of the verdict.
About the case
A lawsuit had been filed against journalist Perihan Kaya on charges of “making propaganda for an organization” and “membership in an organization,” on the grounds of her membership in the now-closed Dicle Journalists Association (DJA), her social media posts, telephone conversations with her colleagues, and statements by secret witnesses, with the allegation that she was “responsible for the Press Wing of the KCK structure.”
At the first hearing held on 24 March 2021, Kaya was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months’ imprisonment for the offense of “making propaganda for an organization,” while she was acquitted of the charge of “membership in an organization.”
However, the appellate court overturned the decision of the local court on the grounds that the provisions on chain offenses had not been taken into consideration and that the imposed sentence was insufficient, and remitted the case file for retrial.
