(RSF/IFEX) – On 28 October 2003, RSF reiterated its call for a judicial review of journalist Sinan Kara’s case. On 27 October, Kara was incarcerated in Urla prison, in Izmir (western Turkey), to begin serving a one-year prison sentence passed in June by Turkey’s highest appeal court. The journalist is accused of allegedly threatening Mert […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 28 October 2003, RSF reiterated its call for a judicial review of journalist Sinan Kara’s case. On 27 October, Kara was incarcerated in Urla prison, in Izmir (western Turkey), to begin serving a one-year prison sentence passed in June by Turkey’s highest appeal court. The journalist is accused of allegedly threatening Mert Ciller, a son of former prime minister Tansu Ciller.
Kara is the former owner of the general interest fortnightly “Datça Haber” and former correspondent for the news agency Dogan in the Datça region. He faces at least 144 days in prison.
RSF had called for a review of the case in a 22 October letter to Justice Minister Cemil Cicek. “A sentence of one year in prison seems out of all proportion to the charge on which [Kara] was convicted,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said in the letter.
“At a time when the European Union is preparing its report on Turkey’s progress toward membership, such a severe sentence on a journalist who has already spent months in prison would have the worst possible impact,” Ménard added.
The alleged offence occurred in June 2000, while Kara was taking photographs of Mert Ciller on vacation in Datça. According to the journalist, one of Mert Ciller’s bodyguards attacked him, injuring him and damaging his camera. Kara filed a complaint with the police, alleging assault. The bodyguard, however, produced witnesses who maintained that Kara was the aggressor and that he had uttered threats.
Kara, who is known for articles criticising local political leaders, was imprisoned from 26 December 2002 to 7 February 2003 for failing to comply with a press law requirement that newspaper publishers send two copies of each issue to the sub-prefect’s office.
