An indictment was prepared against journalist Irfan Uçar, demanding up to 15 years in prison on charges of “being a member of an illegal organization.”
Uçar, who was detained in a house raid conducted in the rural neighborhood of Kerkût in the Islahiye district of Dîlok on 6 December 2023, was released on bail. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Antep prepared an indictment demanding 7.5 to 15 years in prison on charges of “being a member of an organization.” The indictment was accepted by the 2nd High Criminal Court in Antep.
The news reports and programs Uçar attended, as well as posts he made on his social media accounts, were included in the indictment, since his professional activities were considered crimes. Again, the mention of Uçar’s name in the digital materials seized during the raid on the home of journalist and author Cengiz Kapmaz in Istanbul in 2011 was shown as evidence of the crime.
Uçar’s interviews about journalist and author Musa Anter (Apê Musa) and Özgür Gündem newspaper and Özgür Halk magazine distributor Adnan Işık, who was murdered in Van 24 years ago, were also shown as crimes.
Speaking about the indictment prepared against him, Uçar stated that he was tried for his journalistic activities and said the following: “For years, the courts in Istanbul could not find any information and documents. Therefore, they ruled that they lacked jurisdiction and sent the case to Antep. After the file arrived in Antep, I was detained again during a house raid and a case was filed against me. 15 years later, they decided to file a case by cherry-picking the evidence. The so-called evidence is not a crime.
But unfortunately, a case was filed. What is on trial is a journalist calling another journalist and getting information. This is considered a crime.”
The first hearing of the case will be held on 9 January 2025 at the 2nd High Criminal Court in Antep.
Source: ANF News