2015 prison census - Turkey: Gültekin Avci
- Document source:
-
Date:
14 December 2015
| Gültekin Avci, Bugün | |
|---|---|
| Medium: | |
| Charge: | Anti-state |
| Imprisoned: | September 18, 2015 |
On September 20, the SecondPenal Court of Peace in Istanbul ordered Avci to be held in pretrial detention on charges including "attempting to overthrow the government" and being a member of a terrorist organization, according to news reports. Avci was detained two days before that in the western city of Izmir, reports said.
Prosecutors charged Avci in connection with a series of columns he wrote in 2013 and 2014 for the independent daily Bugün (Today) in which he alleged that the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, the country's spy agency, had links to a group called Tawhid-Salam, the English-language daily Today's Zaman reported. News reports said that Turkish authorities declared the Iranian-backed group a terrorist organization in 2014.
Avci's lawyer said the journalist was not allowed to testify in court, news reports said. The lawyer also said Avci had been mistreated in custody and denied food.
Four police officers were detained in connection with the same case, but three were later released, news reports said. Avci and the officers were accused of "attempting to overthrow the government," with the journalist allegedly using his column to try to turn public opinion against the ruling party, local reports said.
Avci is a former prosecutor and the legal representative of Hidayet Karaca, chairman of the Samanyolu Broadcast Group, who was imprisoned on anti-state charges in December 2014, according to news reports.
Avci was being kept in the high-security Silivri Prison in Istanbul in late 2015, according to reports. CPJ was unable to determine the state of his health.
Disclaimer: © Committee to Protect Journalists. All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from CPJ.
This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.