Turkey: DIHA reporter to stay in prison

Tunceli courts reject appeal for release of DIHA reporter Rustu Demirkaya who was arrested for « aiding the PKK ». Journalist to be tried in Malatya. RSF calls for « temporary release ». 

BIA, (Tunceli), Kurdistan-Turkey, — Initiatives to release from prison Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reporter Rustu Demirkaya failed last week when two courts in Tunceli rejected the appeals. Demirkaya was placed under arrest on June 14, based on allegations made against him by a “repentant”.

Demirkaya’s attorney Baris Yildirim after the failed appeals at the Tunceli Criminal Court of Peace and the Tunceli Court of First Instance, they would make a new appeal for his release once the journalist’s file reaches the Malatya 3rd High Criminal Court where he will be put on trial.

The reporter is being accused of “aiding and abetting” the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) based on allegations made by organization member Engin Korumcu who surrendered to security forces and became a state confessor. Korumcu claimed Demirkaya had met with the PKK’s rural leaders and passed them information and other material. 

RSF: Release him temporarily

Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF/Reporters Without Borders) had appealed previously for Demirkaya to be released temporarily until his trial began. 

RSF said a temporary release would not negatively affect the case and noted that many Kurdish journalists were being accused of “assisting the PKK”.

The DIHA Agency and other pro-Kurdish publications such as « Azadiya Welat », « Ulkede Ozgur Gundem » and « Yeni Ozgur Politika » newspapers as well as « GunTV » that airs out of Diyarbakir have protested the arrest of Demirkaya who had previously faced various problems in covering news reports in Tunceli and surrounding areas.

Reporter Demirkaya was previously detained together with three other journalists and five activists while covering the human rights delegation that on August 4, 2005, received kidnapped private Coskun Kirandi from the PKK. The group was put on trial in what has come to be known as the « Kirandi case » charged with « conducting the propaganda of the organisation and its goals ». The next hearing of this trial is listed for September 8, 2006.

Demirkaya was also placed under custody on the evening of May 4, 2005, for reporting on the criminal complaint against Tunceli’s Provincial Gendarme Regiment Commander Namik Dursun who was allegedly involved in swindling. He was released after being questioned. 

bianet org

26.6.2006