(BIANET/IFEX) – The editor-in-chief of the local daily newspaper “Emirdag”, Mustafa Koyuncu, is being tried on charges of “insulting a public officer” in an article. In a 12 March 2007 article entitled “”Should we enter the EU like that? They misuse their authority”, Koyuncu criticized the conduct of local police officers. Following the article’s publication, […]
(BIANET/IFEX) – The editor-in-chief of the local daily newspaper “Emirdag”, Mustafa Koyuncu, is being tried on charges of “insulting a public officer” in an article.
In a 12 March 2007 article entitled “”Should we enter the EU like that? They misuse their authority”, Koyuncu criticized the conduct of local police officers.
Following the article’s publication, the journalist was arrested during a random traffic check and was held in detention for a week.
Koyuncu describes the incident as follows: “The traffic control officer stopped our vehicle and the officer told me to ‘vanish for 180 days'”.
Koyuncu described the incident at his newspaper, in an article that elaborated on other claims of abuse and bad treatment at the local police station.
Several police officers made complaints against Koyuncu for the content of the article. His first court appearance is scheduled for 24 May.
