(BIANET/IFEX) – Nazif Iflasoglu, a reporter from the daily “Radikal”, has been acquitted of the accusation of “securing and spreading secret documents”. He had faced the charges for publishing an article about the strategy of the Follow-Up Committee at the Prime Ministry regarding its fight against the radical Muslim Hizbullah Organization. The journalist published his […]
(BIANET/IFEX) – Nazif Iflasoglu, a reporter from the daily “Radikal”, has been acquitted of the accusation of “securing and spreading secret documents”. He had faced the charges for publishing an article about the strategy of the Follow-Up Committee at the Prime Ministry regarding its fight against the radical Muslim Hizbullah Organization.
The journalist published his report after the operations of the said organization were discussed at the National Security Committee (MGK), and subsequently found himself on trial at the 10th High Criminal Court of Istanbul.
The report, which was published on 19 June 2007 under the title “Basbakanlik: Hizbullah’a dikkat!” (“Prime Ministry: Beware of the Hizbullah”), included information about the measures that were to be taken against the Hizbullah.
The usual accusations directed against investigative journalists are “securing and spreading secret documents”, “attempting to influence the process of fair trial”, and “violation of secrecy”.
Soner Arikanoglu, a reporter from the daily “Taraf”, who was taken into custody on 27 March, is facing the above accusations for writing that during one of the operations of the Ergenekon investigation on 21 March, the building plan of the Supreme Courts of Appeals was found at the headquarters of the Worker Party (IP).
Arikanoglu had also reported that part of the indictment for the closing of the Justice and Development Party about President Abdullah Gül was given by Ömer Faruk Eminagaoglu, president of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors, to the IP.
Arikanoglu is facing imprisonment for the above charges. Another case has been filed against him for similar reasons.
