A Copenhagen court fined Roj TV for violating the Danish anti-terror law but deemed that the television channel should not be shuttered for having allegedly spread propaganda for the PKK.
(BIANET/IFEX) – The Copenhagen City Court in Denmark has ruled that there is no need to stop the broadcasts of the Kurdish satellite channel Roj TV. A trial was pending against the television channel on the grounds of its alleged connection to the outlawed armed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Roj TV stood accused of having spread propaganda for the PKK. At the 29th hearing on the case, the court dismissed the request for the shuttering of the channel and did not annul its license. Instead, the court set a monetary fine of 65,000 Danish kroner (approx US$11,000) for violation of the Danish anti-terror law by Roj TV and the Mesopotamia Broadcasting Company.
The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) released a written statement related to the decision. BDP Co-Chair Filiz Kocali stated on behalf of her party, “After a long period of investigation and trial, Roj TV is not going to be closed down. We hope that this will be an example for Turkey.”
BACKGROUND:
Roj TV has been broadcasting via satellite from Copenhagen since 1 March 2004. On 31 August 2010, a legal action was launched against the channel under the anti-terror law at the request of Copenhagen Chief Prosecutor Jorgen Steen Sorensen.
The prosecutor had alleged that Roj TV “made propaganda for the PKK and was financed by the organization”. Sorensen had demanded a 10 million DKK monetary fine for the Mesopotamia Publishing Company and Roj TV Inc. and the closure of Roj TV.
Turkey has tried to intervene with the Danish authorities to have Roj TV closed ever since the channel was established.
