Hatice Duman, Atilim
Medium:Print
Charge:Anti-state
Imprisoned:April 12, 2003

Duman, former owner and news editor of the socialist weekly Atilim (Leap), was serving a life term at Gebze Women's Closed Prison in Kocaeli on charges of being a member of the banned Marxist Leninist Communist Party, or MLKP, producing propaganda, and "attempting to change the constitutional order by force." Other charges against her included seizing weapons and forging an official document in relation to her alleged association with MLKP, according to a list of imprisoned journalists provided by the Turkish Justice Ministry in November 2013 at CPJ's request.

CPJ believes the charges are baseless and unsubstantiated after viewing the available court documents, including the indictment.

As evidence of the membership and propaganda charges, authorities cited Duman's attendance at MLKP demonstrations and the testimony of confidential witnesses. Duman's lawyer, Keles Öztürk, told CPJ that his client was targeted because Atilim had opposed administration policies.

The weapons and forgery charges were mainly pegged to the testimony of Duman's husband, who later said he had been questioned under torture.

Duman was convicted on all charges on May 4, 2011, according to local press reports.

In October 2012, the Supreme Court of Appeals upheld Duman's life sentence. Duman's lawyers appealed to a higher appellate court, Turkey's Constitutional Court. The appeal was pending in late 2014, according to the lawyers.

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