1 April 2010

Alert

Kurdish newspaper suspended for one month


Incident details

Suspension

Azadiya Welat, Newspaper
(BIANET/IFEX) - The Kurdish newspaper "Azadiya Welat" (Freedom of the Country) is once again facing legal action. The paper was banned for one month on the grounds of "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization".

As reported by the Dicle News Agency, the Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court based its decision for the publication ban on the paper's 27 March 2010 issue because the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, was described as the "leader of the Kurdish people."

The Firat News Agency (ANF) suggested that the court made a mistake in interpreting the sentences in the article that were the reason for the ban.

The Kurdish daily, which is published in Turkey, has faced several publication bans in the past. The newspaper's concessionaire and editorial manager Ozan Kilinc was sentenced to 21 years in prison in February under the same allegations. Former "Azadiya Welat" editorial manager Vedat Kursun is currently detained pending 32 trials and faces imprisonment of up to a total of 525 years.


Source:

IPS Communication Foundation
Faikpasa Sokak, Faikpasa Apt. No. 37, Kat 3
34425 Beyoglu, Istanbul
Turkey
bia (@) bianet.org
Phone: +90 212 2511503
Fax: +90 212 2511609
 

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From other IFEX members

Kurdish daily "Azadiya Welat" banned again (BIANET)

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