(WiPC/IFEX) – On 7 July 2000, at the sixth hearing against Nadire Mater, author of “Mehmed’s Book”, and its publisher, Semih Sokmen, the public prosecutor demanded that the writer be given two to twelve years in prison. The final hearing of the case is due on 24 August. Meanwhile, on 24 June, the editor-in-chief of […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – On 7 July 2000, at the sixth hearing against Nadire Mater, author of “Mehmed’s
Book”, and its publisher, Semih Sokmen, the public prosecutor demanded that the writer be given two to twelve years in prison. The final hearing of the case is due on 24 August. Meanwhile, on 24 June, the editor-in-chief of the weekly “Cina”, Güler Yildiz, was indicted for “ridiculing and insulting the state” for articles in her newspaper in which she discussed Mater’s book and
quoted from it.
International PEN considers the charges against Mater, Sokmen and Yildiz to be in direct violation of their internationally recognised right to freedom of expression. It calls on the courts presiding over the cases to bear in mind that imprisonment under these charges would be a serious breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a party, and would lead to international condemnation.
Mater, journalist and author, and Sokmen, of the Metis Publishing House, have been on trial since September 1999 for the publication of “Mehmed’s Book”, a collection of interviews with soldiers who had served in southeastern Turkey. Both are charged under Article 159 of the Turkish Penal Code for “insulting the army”, a conviction carrying up to six years in prison. They are being tried separately for the third and fourth editions of the book, each edition being considered a separate offence. They thus face a total of twelve years in prison each. (The first and second editions of the book are considered exempt from prosecution as they fall under a partial amnesty that suspended such sentences for any acts carried out before May 1999). The book has been banned since June 1999. Both are free pending the outcome of their trial.
Mater describes her book as “based on exclusive interviews with retired soldiers and officers who have fought in the south-east conflict and aims at conveying the experiences of rank-and-file soldiers to the public.”
At the 7 July hearing, an independent expert presented his analysis of the book, stating that the charges against Mater were “irrelevant and ‘Mehmed’s Book’ aims at an objective evaluation of the southeast conflict.” The public prosecutor dismissed this, saying that the expert’s report had been “contradictory” adding that the book had not included testimonies of victims of attacks carried out by all sides of the conflict. He told the court that “The criticisms [in the book] are an extension of Western traditions since the Ottoman times to blame any action by the [Turkish] authorities towards national defence with irrelevant charges to campaign against the country’s security forces.”
The final hearing will be held on 24 August before the Istanbul Beyolgu District Penal Court No 2.
Meanwhile, in the southern city of Mersin, Yildiz, editor-in-chief of “Cinar”, a weekly local paper, has been indicted for “insulting the army”, also under Article 159 of the penal code, for articles in her paper about “Mehmed’s Book”, in particular for reproducing quotes from it.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the minister of justice:
– stating that you consider the charges against Mater, Sokmen and Yildiz to be in direct violation of their internationally recognised right to freedom of expression
– calling on the courts presiding over the cases to bear in mind that imprisonment under these charges would be a serious breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a party, and would lead to international condemnation
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
His Excellency Hikmet Sami Turk
Minister of Justice
Adalet Bakaligi
06440 Bakaniklar
Ankara, Turkey
Fax: + 90312 417 3954
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
